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.