Brent Leatherwood, Head Of SBC’s Public Policy Arm, Resigns
Brent Leatherwood has resigned as president of the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission — ending nearly nine years of service that began in 2017 as director of strategic partnerships.
The ERLC Board of Trustees accepted Leatherwood’s resignation in a called meeting Thursday in Nashville, gratefully noting his character and achievements in the role he began in 2021 in an acting capacity before becoming president in 2022.
“Brent has led the commission well and demonstrated loving courage in the face of a divisive and increasingly polarizing culture in America,” trustee chairman Scott Foshie said in announcing the change. “While biblical values have been under attack, Brent has been a consistent and faithful missionary to the public square. We are thankful for his commitment to the Lord and to this commission.”
Leatherwood leaves the ERLC weeks after it survived an attempt by SBC messengers to disband the entity, and a year after his term as president was affected by a confusing series of events related to his employment status.
Leatherwood left on a high note, thanking Southern Baptists for having had the opportunity to serve at such a time as this.
“It has been an honor to guide this Baptist organization in a way that has honored the Lord, served the churches of our Convention, and made this fallen world a little better,” Leatherwood told trustees, as noted in a July 31 press release. “I believe gratitude is at the heart of conservatism.
“That means I will always be thankful for the opportunity provided to me by our churches — for the support they have offered and the resources they have sacrificially given to this entity.”
The exiting president praised the ERLC team for its work during his tenure, saying the entity stood on Scripture in all of its work.
“In all of our advocacy work, we have sought to strike a balance of conviction and kindness, one that is rooted in Scripture and reflective of our Baptist beliefs. That has meant standing for truth, without equivocation, yet never failing to honor the God-given dignity of each person we engage,” Leatherwood said. “By conducting ourselves in accordance with what is articulated in 1 Peter 3:15-16, our ministry has helped the world clearly understand that Jesus Christ reveals a better way to live rather than the angry, self-absorbed, and cruel model that is so often served up by our modern culture.”
Leatherwood noted his greatest hope is anchored in the salvation offered by Jesus.
“That hope has powered our work these last several years, and has shaped my own conscience,” he said. “It will continue to do so as I move forward to render service where the Lord is calling me next.”
Leatherwood did not note his next professional ministerial assignment in a press release announcing his departure.
Miles Mullin, ERLC vice president and chief of staff, begins Thursday as acting president, trustees said.
You can read the rest of this article at Baptist Press.
Diana Chandler is Baptist Press’ senior writer.