ERLC Podcast

How does being a Christians affect one’s public service? And what can Southern Baptists do to influence the public square? During SBC25 in Dallas, ERLC President Brent Leatherwood spoke with Ambassador designate Mark Walker, President Trump’s appointee for the Office of International Religious Freedom, Congressman Nathaniel Moran from Texas, and Sen. James Lankford from Oklahoma about being a Christian in Washington, D.C. Before being named as the Ambassador designate, Mark Walker represented North Carolina’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2015 to 2021. Congressman Nathaniel Moran serves the first district of Texas, and is one of five Republicans appointed to the Ethics Committee, the body which upholds the House Code of Official Conduct. Lastly, Senator James Lankford served four years in the US House of Representatives for central Oklahoma, until he was elected to the US Senate in 2014.

This week marked a decisive victory in protecting minors from harmful gender transition procedures. The Supreme Court justices ruled 6-3 in favor of the Tennessee law banning healthcare providers from prescribing medication or performing procedures on minors to “transition” to an identity opposite of their biological sex. The protection of minors from harmful “gender transition” surgeries and interventions is good and appropriate. Furthermore, states have a constitutional responsibility to protect children from harm. Because of this, the ERLC advocated against such procedures, and filed an amicus brief alongside the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board in favor of the Tennessee lawmakers and the protection of children. Before the ruling was released, we talked about the importance of this case with Matt Sharp, who serves as senior counsel and director of the Center for Public Policy at Alliance Defending Freedom. Sharp earned his J.D. in 2006 from the Vanderbilt University School of Law. Since joining ADF in 2010, Sharp has authored federal and state legislation, regularly provides testimony and legal analysis on how proposed legislation will impact constitutional freedoms, and advises governors, legislators, and state and national policy organizations on the importance of laws and policies that protect First Amendment rights.

In the early days of the Southern Baptist Convention, when the costs of ministry opportunities were beginning to expand, convention leaders proposed the 75 Million Campaign, a five-year pledge campaign with the purpose of funding missions. This campaign planted the seed for what would grow to be the Cooperative Program in 1925. Now, 100 years later, the Cooperative Program continues to use every dollar given by faithful Southern Baptists to further the Great Commission. On today’s episode, we’ll talk to Tony Wolfe, executive director of the South Carolina Baptist Convention; and Madison Grace, provost and vice president for academic administration at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Tony and Madison will talk through the history, purpose, and impact of the Cooperative Program throughout the decades. They’ll also share more about their new book, A Unity of Purpose: 100 Years of the SBC Cooperative Program.

May 22nd marked a significant milestone in the ongoing work to protect the dignity of every human life. The United States House of Representatives voted to defund Planned Parenthood — a major victory for life and for the countless voices who have tirelessly advocated for this outcome. Planned Parenthood’s predatory, deceptive, and destructive practices are destroying preborn lives at the expense of the American taxpayer. Today, we’re talking Congressman Nathaniel Moran about this victory and other pro-life priorities. Congressman Moran proudly serves the First District of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives. He attended West Point, then Texas Tech, where he earned a BA, MBA, and a law degree. Congressman Moran began his elected public service on the Tyler City Council, and in 2016, he became Smith County Judge, a role he continued in until his election to Congress in 2022. In the House, Congressman Moran serves on the Ways and Means Committee, the oldest Committee in Congress and the chief tax-writing Committee in the House. He resides in Texas with his wife of 25 years, Kyna, and their four children.

Whether engaging with issues of life, religious liberty, marriage and family, or human dignity, the ERLC works to ensure that Southern Baptist convictions are at the table in the cultural and policy discussions of our nation’s leaders. This Comission also serves as a resource for Southern Baptist pastors and churches, equipping them to think and respond faithfully in a rapidly changing world. On today’s episode, we’re joined by Scott Foshie, chairman of the ERLC’s board of trustees, to explore the far-reaching influence of the ERLC—from the halls of Congress to the heart of the local church. Since 2019, Scott has served as the Church Health Team Leader for the Illinois Baptist State Association. Before joining the state convention staff, Scott pastored churches in Tennessee and Illinois for 20 years. He and his wife, Audra, have been married for 23 years and have three children.

For over a century, the ERLC has upheld its dual mandate to speak into the public square and equip our pastors and churches with resources to engage the culture on moral and ethical issues in areas such as life, religious liberty, marriage and family, and human dignity. Whether serving churches or advocating for Southern Baptist convictions before the halls of Congress, we stand in the gap for and alongside the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention. While we work on policy issues in our nation’s capital, much of our ministry centers around supporting churches like yours by providing practical and theological resources, many of them available for free on our website. Our aim is to carry out our mission with the utmost integrity, which is why we’re answering some of your most frequently asked questions on our podcast. In addition, we’ve provided a more extensive list at erlc.com/faqs. On today’s episode, you’ll hear from Brent Leatherwood, president of the ERLC; Miles Mullin, vice president and chief of staff at the ERLC; and Bobby Reed, chief financial officer of the ERLC, as we answer questions about the ERLC Research Institute, our stance on immigration policies, and our work on pro-life legislation.

The ERLC was founded over 100 years ago with a dual mandate to speak into the public square while equipping our pastors and churches with resources to engage the culture on moral and ethical issues in areas such as life, religious liberty, marriage and family, and human dignity. While we work on policy issues in our nation’s capital, much of our ministry also includes serving churches like yours with practical, theological resources, many of them available for free on our website. Our aim is to carry out our mission with the utmost integrity, which is why we’re answering some of our most frequently asked questions on our podcast. In additions, we’ve provided a more extensive list at erlc.com/faqs. On today’s episode, you’ll hear from Brent Leatherwood, president of the ERLC; Miles Mullin, vice president and chief of staff at the ERLC; and Bobby Reed, chief financial officer of the ERLC, about how we serves SBC churches, how we work with everyone from state conventions to our nation’s leaders, and how we are funded.

Gambling has been on the rise in recent years, and now more than ever, it’s seeping its way into our everyday lives. From advertisements on our phones to the big screens, the gambling industry is fighting for our attention. But why is this such a problem? This industry preys on the weak and vulnerable, and profits off of those too addicted to turn away. The Bible helps us think about gambling with wisdom and discernment. For example, Matthew 6:24-34 commands us to steward our resources well and to trust God for our provision. In addition, Southern Baptists have opposed gambling for many years, with over 14 resolutions about gambling adopted by messengers. While the problem of gambling is pervasive in many states, South Carolina and Texas are currently faced with legislation that, if passed, would legalize sports betting, leading to physical, emotional, and relational harm, particularly within families and communities. Here to discuss the dangers of this issue is Bryant Simms, chief operations officer for the South Carolina Baptist Convention, who will offer advice to pastors on how to oppose this issue in their state. You’ll also hear from Dan Darling, director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and church engagement strategist at the ERLC.

Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider in the United States, responsible for nearly 400,000 abortions annually. This Supreme Court term, there is an important case called Medina vs. Planned Parenthood that will determine whether individual Medicaid beneficiaries have the legal right to challenge a state’s decision to exclude certain healthcare providers, such as Planned Parenthood, from Medicaid programs. On today’s episode, you’ll hear from Christopher Mills, founder of Spero Law in Charleston, S.C., who partnered with the ERLC to write an amicus brief that we submitted to the Supreme Court in the Medina case. Mills will discuss his work on the amicus brief and why this case matters to Southern Baptist churches and ministries across the nation. Mills previously served as a Constitutional Law Fellow at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and a law clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas. He’s currently an Adjunct Professor at Charleston School of Law. He has authored many briefs and motions in the Supreme Court. He graduated summa cum laude from Furman University in 2009 and magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 2012. You’ll also hear from Brent Leatherwood, president of the ERLC, about the ERLC’s ongoing campaign to defund Planned Parenthood. Southern Baptists affirm the sanctity of every human life and believe that Scripture testifies that all people are made in the image of God. It is from this belief that the ERLC has led this campaign calling on Congress to defund Planned Parenthood through the budget reconciliation process.

Over the past few months, the ERLC has actively called on Congress and the administration to take decisive action to defund Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider responsible for nearly 400,000 abortions annually. In March, the ERLC hosted its first pastor advocacy trip where ERLC staff and Southern Baptist pastors hand-delivered 10,000 signatures for the ERLC’s campaign to defund Planned Parenthood to Senator Lankford’s and Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s offices. The group also met with Speaker Mike Johnson, Sens. Ted Cruz and James Lankford, and others, giving them on-the-ground experience with life in D.C. and a better understanding of how the work that the ERLC does matters to the mission of our churches. Today, you’ll hear from Brent Leatherwood, president of the ERLC, as he shares more about how pastors are helping to amplify the voice of Southern Baptists to elected officials on issues concerning the protection and dignity of preborn lives. You’ll also hear from Ben Bolin, pastor of Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Ft. Worth, Texas. He was on the trip and has served in Christian ministry for 20 years.

In a time of intense political polarization, finding examples of faith-informed leadership that brings people together rather than pushing them apart can feel rare. That’s why today's conversation between Brent Leatherwood, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, and Republican Sen. James Lankford from Oklahoma offers such a refreshing perspective on how Christian faith can shape public service. Before serving in Congress, Sen. Lankford worked with students and families for more than 20 years in ministry. He was elected to the US House of Representatives in 2010 and has served as a US Senator since 2014. Senator Lankford, is a native of Oklahoma where he lives with his wife and two daughters and is a member of a Southern Baptist church.

At the ERLC, our goal is to serve our Southern Baptist churches in the public square. As you have heard throughout this series about our work in Washington D.C., having a presence and a voice in our nation’s capital allows us to speak up, for, and from our Southern Baptist churches before various audiences. In previous episodes, we have broken down how that work covers all three branches of government and some of the specific ways we seek to engage those arenas. Today, our focus turns to the work of the ERLC’s Research team and how they support and undergird the work of the ERLC Policy team. Joining us is Rashan Frost. RaShan serves as the ERLC director of research and senior fellow focused on issues of human dignity. He is the teaching pastor of Centerpoint Church in North Charleston, South Carolina, and is an adjunct professor of Christian Studies at Charleston Southern University. Frost earned his doctor of philosophy in theology with a concentration in public theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is active in denominational leadership, serving with the Charleston Baptist Association of the South Carolina Baptist Convention.

The ERLC’s presence in our nation’s capital allows us to speak up, for, and from our Southern Baptist churches before various audiences. In our previous episodes, we’ve covered the executive and judicial branches, demonstrating the need for Christians’ involvement in the various facets of our government because policies have real-world effects on all of us. Today, our focus turns to the legislative branch. To help us better understand the legislative branch and why our involvement matters is David Closson. David serves as the director of the Center for Biblical Worldview at Family Research Council. He researches and writes on life, human sexuality, religious liberty, and related issues from a biblical worldview. David is a Ph.D. candidate in Christian Ethics at Southwestern Seminary. He received his M.Div. and Th.M. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and his B.A. in political science from the University of Central Florida. David lives in the Washington, D.C. area and is a member of Capitol Hill Baptist Church.

The ERLC’s presence in our nation’s capital allows us to speak up, for, and from our Southern Baptist churches before various audiences, including our federal government leaders. In our last episode, we learned about how the ERLC interacts with the executive branch. Today, we’ll turn our attention to the judicial branch of government and learn about the importance of advocating for the fundamental rights and liberties that are so important to Southern Baptists. To help us better understand this branch, why we should care about it, and how organization like the ERLC interact with the courts are Lathan Watts and Palmer Williams. Lathan Watts serves as vice president of public affairs for Alliance Defending Freedom. Watts represents ADF at external events, conferences, press conferences, and in the media. Prior to joining ADF, Watts spent nearly 20 years in various roles within the political, public policy, and non-profit sectors. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi and his Bachelor of Arts in history from Harding University. Palmer Williams is general counsel for the ERLC. She specializes in legal and policy analysis related to international human rights, sanctity of life, and government affairs. As a licensed attorney specializing in international law, she has extensive experience advocating for human rights on the international stage, including at the United Nations. She earned her Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt Law School and her B.A. in Political Science and Community Development from Vanderbilt University.

The ERLC’s presence in our nation’s capital allows us to speak up, for, and from our Southern Baptist churches before various audiences. More specifically, we’re able to interact with the executive branch of our federal government, advocating for policies that positively affect issues Southern Baptists care about and pushing back against harmful policies that violate our biblical convictions. To help us better understand the executive branch, why Christians should care about this part of our government, and how organizations interact with it is Rachel Morrison. Rachel is a Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, where she directs EPPC’s Administrative State Accountability Project. As an attorney, her legal and policy work focuses on religious liberty, health care rights of conscience, the right to life, nondiscrimination, and civil rights. She is also a member of an SBC church.

The ERLC operates out of two locations—Nashville, as our home base, and Capitol Hill, where we’ve had a permanent presence for 31 years. Our work in D.C. is focused on making the voice of Southern Baptists heard in the public policy space. We do this by regularly working with lawmakers, coalition partners, and like-minded organizations to increase our influence and maintain the stance of our SBC churches, shape the cultural debates of the day, provide pastors with information they need, and equip the SBC to stand for truth in their communities. On today’s episode, we’re talking with Brent Leatherwood, president of the ERLC, Hannah Daniel, ERLC’s director of public policy, and Allison Cantrell, senior policy associate for the ERLC, to get a better idea of the important work your ERLC does in the public square.

Throughout our marriage and family podcast series, we’ve looked at our society’s gender confusion and how it’s affecting our children, especially in schools. We’ve also heard about an important Supreme Court case that involves protecting our children from “gender transition” medical interventions. In order to hold fast to God’s good design for marriage, family, and sexuality, it’s important to understand some of the underlying problems with how our society views these fundamental realities. Joining us today to talk about this is Dr. Gregg Allison. Dr. Allison is a senior fellow in Marriage and Family for the ERLC Research Institute. He also serves as professor of Christian Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Prior to that, he taught theology and church history at Western Seminary in Oregon. He is an author and has 18 years of ministry experience at Campus Crusade as well as serving as a missionary in Italy and Switzerland. He is a member at his church in Kentucky.

Part of the mission of the ERLC is to assist churches by helping fellow Baptists understand the moral demands of the gospel. We also apply Christian principles to moral and social problems and questions of public policy. One of the ways we fulfill this mission is by partnering with like-minded individuals, churches, and institutions across the Southern Baptist Convention to produce work that is accessible and applicable to both the layperson and the scholar. Today, we’ll highlight two instances of cooperation in the area of gender and sexuality issues. The first involves our resource, “God’s Good Design: A Practical Guide for Answering Gender Confusion.” The second involves our public policy advocacy with the Baptist Convention of Iowa. Together, we signed onto an amicus brief in defense of parental rights. We’ll talk to Dane Hays, family pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Decatur, AL, about the “Gender Guide.” Dane has served in counseling and discipleship for over 20 years. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Psychology from UAB and a Masters of Divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary where he studied biblical counseling and theology. You’ll also hear from Tim Lubinus, the executive director of the Baptist Convention of Iowa, about the amicus brief. Prior to his current role, Tim was a missions pastor and served overseas on the mission field with the International Mission Board. He received a Masters of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and has a Doctor of Ministry from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

As Christians, we know that God’s design for raising children is in the context of a home with a loving father and mother—and he gave parents the responsibility to raise their children in accordance with His Word. This may seem obvious, but our society is increasingly pushing back against God’s design by undermining “parental rights.” While in a fallen world parents don’t always seek what is best for their children and should be held accountable by God-given authorities, in most cases, moms and dads should be able raise their children according to their deeply held beliefs, ensuring their children are protected from things like the harmful effects of radical ideas about gender and sexuality. So, why and how are parental rights being brought up at the Supreme Court this term in a case titled United States v. Skrmetti? On today’s episode, you’ll hear from two lawyers—Matt Sharp and Kayla Toney—who are well acquainted with these legal challenges and how they are related to radical gender ideology. Matt Sharp serves as senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, where he is the director of the Center for Public Policy. In this role, he leads ADF’s team of policy experts as they craft legislation and advise government officials on policies that promote free speech, religious freedom, parental rights, and the sanctity of human life. Sharp has also worked on important cases advancing religious freedom and free speech. He earned his J.D. in 2006 from the Vanderbilt University School of Law. A member of the bar in Georgia and Tennessee, he is also admitted to practice in several federal courts. Kayla Toney is Associate Counsel with First Liberty Institute, concentrating on religious liberty matters and First Amendment rights for clients of all faiths. Prior to joining First Liberty, Kayla litigated religious freedom cases as a Constitutional Law Fellow at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. She clerked for Judge Gregory E. Maggs on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. Kayla also worked as a litigation associate. Kayla earned her law degree from George Washington University. A native of Michigan, Kayla is based in First Liberty’s Washington, D.C. office and is licensed to practice law in Virginia and D.C.

Election Day 2024 was one for the history books. President-elect Donald Trump was decisively returned to the White House by voters. A surprise given how close many commentators thought the race would be. Likewise, there was a Republican sweep in the House and Senate. In addition, the ERLC was closely watching 10 states with abortion ballot initiatives of those three states secured pro-life protections for the pre-born, while sadly, the seven other states enshrined pro-abortion legislation into their state constitutions. On today's episode, you'll hear from ERLC President Brent Leatherwood and our policy director Hannah Daniel. They'll talk about the results of the election, the importance of continuing to stand for the value of every preborn life and the good work we have the opportunity to accomplish with a new administration and Congress.