ERLC President Steps Down Amid Southern Baptist Convention Discord

Pamphlets featuring a photo of Brent Leatherwood with House Speaker Mike Johnson were distributed throughout the Dallas meeting hall where the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) convened in June. Leatherwood, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), had previously appeared on the US Capitol lawn in a promotional video highlighting the organization’s lobbying efforts in Washington. He urged the convention to support the ERLC’s continued work in public policy.

Leatherwood stepped down from his position on Thursday, marking the end of a challenging period for the ERLC and the SBC. His resignation followed a contentious few years in which many Southern Baptists viewed him and the ERLC as misaligned with their political views and church practices. ERLC board members accepted his resignation and expressed gratitude for his leadership during a divisive time, appointing chief of staff Miles Mullin as acting president.

Leatherwood, a 44-year-old church deacon with prior experience in the Republican Party and on Capitol Hill, did not provide a specific reason for his departure, stating it was “time to close this chapter of my life.” Griffin Gulledge, a Georgia pastor and leader with The Baptist Review, noted that Leatherwood’s resignation reflects the difficulty of representing Southern Baptists in the political sphere amid the denomination’s polarization.

At the SBC’s annual meeting this year, 43 percent of attendees voted to abolish the ERLC. Although the proposal did not pass, the split highlighted waning confidence in the organization. Even Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, expressed “grave doubts about the utility of the ERLC” in an interview.

ERLC’s critics argue that its activities reflect a broader liberal shift within the conservative denomination, particularly regarding positions on immigration and gun policy. Other pastors feel the ERLC is disconnected from the 47,000 local congregations that constitute the SBC. In the weeks following the annual meeting, Leatherwood remained active as the ERLC navigated significant developments, including Supreme Court rulings and a congressional budget reconciliation bill that aligned with the organization’s long-term goal of defunding Planned Parenthood.

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