Capitol Conversations

Jeff Pickering and Travis Wussow welcomed California pastor Rolland Slade to the roundtable to talk about his journey from business to the pulpit, his new role as Chairman of the SBC Executive Committee, and how his church in San Diego has built ministry partnerships with their city government officials.

“I think we’re in the middle of something happening to bring us back to being the church God wanted us to be.” – Rolland Slade, Senior Pastor of Meridian Baptist Church and SBC Executive Committee Chairman

A native of San Diego, California, Pastor Rolland E. Slade has been married to the former Adrienne C. Jewell since 1981, and is the proud father of Rolland “Jay”, Ryan, and Alexandra. Pastor Rolland accepted his call into the ministry in 1987 and he shares that story in our conversation. In January 2004 Pastor Rolland was installed as the Senior Pastor of the Meridian Baptist Church. Since that time the Meridian Church has experienced the revitalization of their membership as well as ministries. The church has become involved in several key community partnerships on initiatives ranging from child welfare, violence prevention, personal health, and now efforts to help house the homeless. In June 2020, Pastor Slade was elected as the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee chairman, making history as the SBC EC’s first African American to serve as chair.

• Learn more about Rolland Slade, Senior Pastor of Meridian Baptist Church
• Read the Baptist Press article about Slade’s election | In historic election, SBC Executive Committee elects first African American chair
• Read the San Diego Union Tribune article about their homeless ministry | A village of tiny houses coming to El Cajon church site
• Keep up with the ERLC’s work regarding Covid-19
• Download the Courage and Civility Church Kit
• Download the Caring Well Hiring Guide
• Subscribe to ERLC’s Policy Newsletter

Jeff Pickering and Travis Wussow welcome Israel based journalist and award winning author Matti Friedman to talk about the Middle East after the Abraham Accords. 

This episode was recorded at the end of September.

Matti Friedman is a journalist and contributor to the New York Times Op-Ed Section and the author of multiple award-winning books. His 2016 book, Pumpkinflowers: A Soldier’s Story of a Forgotten War, is a memoir about his time serving in the Israli military and was chosen as a New York Times’ Notable Book and as one of Amazon’s 10 best books of the year. Matti’s first book, The Aleppo Codex, is an investigation into the strange fate of an ancient Bible manuscript, and his most recent book, published in 2018, is the Spies of No Country, the story of Israel’s first intelligence agents in 1948. Friedman is a former Associated Press correspondent, and his work as a reporter has taken him from Israel to Lebanon, Morocco, Moscow, and Washington, D.C. He was born in Toronto and lives in Jerusalem with his family.

• Learn more about Matti at mattifriedman.com
• Check out Matti’s books
  • The Aleppo Codex
  • Pumpkinflowers
  • Spies of No Country
• Read ERLC’s Explainer: Israel signs pacts with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates
• Download the Courage and Civility Church Kit
• Download the Caring Well Hiring Guide
• Subscribe to ERLC’s Policy Newsletter

This week’s episode was originally scheduled to be an interview with fellow adoption advocate, McLane Layton, on the need for Congress to pass the Adoptee Citizenship Act. 

But then, after the passing of Supreme Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, President Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the high court vacancy. The ERLC team circled up after the nomination to talk about Judge Barrett’s incredible biography and inspiring career before turning to Chelsea Patterson Sobolik and Jeff Pickering’s interview with Layton about this important adoption issue.

McLane Layton is the Founder and President of Equality for Adopted Children (EACH). She previously served as Legislative Counsel to former U.S. Senator Don Nickles (R–Okla.) from 1990 to 2005. Layton holds a Juris Doctor from Oral Roberts University and a Masters in Psychology from George Mason University. 

• On Judge Barrett and the Supreme Court
  • ERLC’s Press Release | Russell Moore affirms Amy Coney Barrett as SCOTUS Justice nominee
  • Explainer: What you should know about Judge Amy Coney Barrett
  • Read Cheslea’s quote in the New York Times | For Conservative Christian Women, Amy Coney Barrett’s Success Is Personal
  • Read Jeff’s article | What we can learn from the friendship of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia
• On the Adoptee Citizenship Act
  • ERLC Supports the Adoptee Citizenship Act
  • Explainer: What you need to know about the Adoptee Citizenship Act
  • ERLC leads coalition calling for Congress to pass the bipartisan Adoptee Citizenship Act
• Subscribe to ERLC’s Policy Newsletter

Jeff Pickering and Travis Wussow welcome Andrew Bunnell of Biblical Ministries Worldwide to the roundtable for a wide ranging conversation on religious freedom. The discussion covers various misconceptions about this freedom and how we can chart a path forward that advances the Kingdom of God and the common good of our neighbors in our country. Andrew speaks with a wealth of experience on the mission field as a church planter and knowledge of the history of how government policy treats this foundational human right.

Andrew Bunnell has invested his life evangelizing the lost and planting and revitalizing churches in more than forty countries across Eurasia, Africa, and North America. After twenty years with Baptist International Missions, he now serves as General Director Designate at Biblical Ministries Worldwide. Andrew is also pursuing a PhD at the University of Washington at Seattle focused on the global role of religion in shaping culture and politics. In 2000, he married his childhood sweetheart, Sarah. They have three children: Joseph, Jackson and Elizabeth.

• Connect with Andrew
• Learn more about Biblical Ministries Worldwide
• Listen to Andrew’s Podcast Liberty.Earth
• Learn more about the Supreme Court cases Travis mentioned: Citing ERLC brief, SCOTUS protects religious liberty
• Learn more about navigating the tension of religious liberty during the pandemic: A Q&A for churches on government restrictions with a religious liberty attorney
• Learn more about John Leland: How a Baptist preacher helped ensure religious liberty
• Download the Courage and Civility Church Kit
• Download the Caring Well Hiring Guide
• Subscribe to ERLC’s Policy Newsletter

If you’re like most pastors or church leaders, you’re probably facing difficult questions this fall. Questions like “How can I advocate for important issues without hindering my gospel witness?” and “What responsibilities do we have to engage in this current moment?” Jeff Pickering and Chelsea Patterson Sobolik welcome Daryl Crouch and Catherine Parks to the roundtable to talk about these issues and share about a new free resource from the ERLC, the Courage and Civility Church Toolkit.

This toolkit, with curriculum and sermon drafts, explores how Christians should think through issues of our day as they see the chaotic culture around us. It gives pastors and church leaders a helpful path to walk with their congregations through this polarized moment. Download your free copy today.

Daryl Crouch currently serves as the pastor of Greenhill Church in Mt. Juliet, TN where he and his wife live with their 3 children. With a Masters of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, Daryl has a couple decades of ministry experience and writes frequently for several publications, including writing the content in the church kit, as well as frequently on his personal blog, crosstied.org.

Catherine Parks writes and lives in Nashville, TN, with her husband, two children, and a cute dog named Ollie. She's the author of Empowered, Strong and Real: The Surprising Secret to Deeper Relationships, a collection of biographies for middle-grade readers. You can find more of Catherine’s writing at cathparks.com

• Download the Courage and Civility Church Kit
• Read Catherine’s article | Are we teaching our children civility with our lives?
• Faith and Healthy Democracy: Introduction with Paul Miller and Brent Leatherwood
• White Paper: Faith and Healthy Democracy 
• Full Report: Faith and Health Democracy 
• Subscribe to ERLC’s Policy Newsletter

Each August, we take a break from our usual policy focused conversations and host interviews with leaders we admire. In this last week of summer before Labor Day, Chelsea Patterson Sobolik sits down with Shannon Royce, Esq., who serves in the federal government as the Director of the Center for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Shannon Royce leads the HHS Partnership Center which was formed in 2001, under the George W. Bush administration, to ensure that faith partners and non-profits faced no barriers and were engaged as full partners in serving the poor and helping the vulnerable. Shannon’s career includes both government and private sector experience. In government, she worked for over seven years on Capitol Hill, including serving as Counsel to Sen. Grassley (R–Iowa). In the private sector, Shannon worked in several faith-based non-profits, including leading the D.C. office of the ERLC. She received her Juris Doctor from the George Washington University School of Law. Shannon is married with two grown sons and enjoys running half-marathons for fun.

• Learn more about the HHS Partnership Center
• Connect with Shannon’s team at [email protected]
• Follow Shannon on Twitter ⁦‪@jcnjmama‬⁩
• Royce, former ERLC leader, joins Trump admin. | Baptist Press
• Subscribe to ERLC’s Policy Newsletter
• Subscribe to ERLC’s The Weekly

Each August, we take a break from our usual policy focused conversations and host interviews with leaders we admire. This week, Jeff Pickering sits down with retired NFL player Benjamin Watson, who is now an author, activist, and documentary filmmaker. Watson is also a man of deep Christian faith and a faithful family man.

Benjamin Watson and his wife, Kirsten, are the parents of seven children as well as the founders of One More, a foundation aiming to spread the love and hope of Christ by meeting real needs, promoting education, and supporting local charities. As a retired tight end, Watson is now an ESPN and NFL Network and a prolific media cultural commentator. Watson’s illustrious football career included being the 32nd overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, a Superbowl 39 champion his rookie season, a finalist for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award. Watson has also authored two books, Under Our Skin and The New Dad’s Playbook, and is the producer of a forthcoming documentary, titled, Divided Hearts of America.

• Benjamin Watson’s Website
• Benjamin’s books | Under Our Skin + The New Dad’s Playbook
• Benjamin’s documentary | Divided Hearts of America
• Listen to a conversation with Watson at MLK50 | The State of Racial Tension in America
• Listen to a keynote Watson gave at EFL 2018 | Pro-Life and Pro-Justice
• Benjamin’s viral Facebook post from 2014 after the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson
• Subscribe to ERLC’s Policy Newsletter
• Subscribe to ERLC’s The Weekly

Each August, we take a break from our policy focused conversations and host interviews with friends and leaders we admire. This week, Travis Wussow sits down with Bill Wichterman of Covington & Burling LLP. Bill’s story is a fascinating one of following Jesus to the mission field and back into politics. He has enjoyed decades in Wasington, leading in both government and campaigns, and now as an outside expert.

Bill Wichterman is a non-lawyer Senior Advisor in Covington’s Public Policy practice. Prior to joining Covington, Bill served as Special Assistant to President George W. Bush and as the President’s personal liaison to the conservative movement. Before serving in the White House, he held a number of senior staff-level positions on Capitol Hill, including as Policy Advisor to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, and Chief of Staff to Congressman Joe Pitts and Congressman Bill Baker. Mr. Wichterman also has inside experience in congressional and presidential campaigns, serving most recently as a chief advisor to the Santorum 2012 presidential campaign, and has previously been a key staff participant on the Republican Convention's Platform Committee.

• Learn more about Bill’s work at Covington
• Read Bill’s blog | Oakton Foundation
• Read Bill’s book | Dying to Live
• Subscribe to ERLC’s Policy Newsletter
• Subscribe to ERLC’s The Weekly

With Congress in August recess, we take a break from our usual policy focused conversations and host interviews with leaders we admire. This week, Chelsea Patterson Sobolik sits down with D.J. Jordan, a communications professional with the Pinkston Group.

D.J. Jordan is a Vice President at Pinkston where he leads a team of experienced strategists, writers and designers in creating and implementing strategic communications campaigns for corporations, nonprofit organizations, advocacy groups and individual thought leaders. D.J. has worked for major news outlets as well as in various communications leadership roles in the federal government. Prior to joining Pinkston, D.J. was communications director for a U.S. Senator, communications director for the U.S. House Committee on Small Business, and press secretary for a U.S. Representative. He previously worked at both CNN and Fox News, where as an assignment editor and producer he helped develop coverage of breaking and featured news. D.J. earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast communications from Liberty University, and a master’s degree in public management from The Johns Hopkins University. He has served on the boards of several state and nonprofit agencies focused on family issues, including the Virginia State Board of Social Services and Virginia’s Kids Belong, which advocates for children in the foster care system.

• Connect with D.J. at Pinkston
• Watch D.J. at an ERLC event | Caring for the Stranger: Immigrants, Refugees, and the Response of the Church
• Watch D.J. at an ERLC event | Be a Voice for Life: Developing a Compelling Pro-Life Message
• Subscribe to ERLC’s Policy Newsletter
• Subscribe to ERLC’s The Weekly

The 2019-2020 term of the Supreme Court was one for the history books. The justice’s rulings give Christians a lot to consider on issues ranging from religious liberty and civil rights law to abortion jurisprudence and immigration rules. The ERLC filed amicus briefs in a number of these cases and our brief was cited by Justice Alito in the court’s opinion in the Guadalupe religious liberty victory.

Russell Moore and Jeff Pickering joined the Capitol Hill ministry, Faith & Law, for a Friday forum event to reflect on what happened and what’s next.

Faith & Law is a community of congressional staffers and Members of Congress that meet regularly to think deeply about how our faith informs and impacts our calling to the public square. Their mission is to encourage and equip Christian policy-makers to more fully understand the Biblical worldview and its implication in their calling to the public square.

• Learn more about Faith & Law
• 5 Supreme Court cases you should keep your eye on by ERLC Policy Staff
• After the Bostock Supreme Court case by Russell Moore
• Bostock Explainer + Top Quotes
• Espinoza Explainer + Top Quotes
• Guadalupe Explainer + Top Quotes
• Little Sisters Explainer + Top Quotes
• June Medical Services Explainer + Top Quotes
• DACA case Explainer + recent podcast episode with Jose Ocampo