As part of our Across State Lines emphasis, New England Baptist partnered with the ERLC'S Psalm 139 Project to donate an ultrasound machine to Aspire Now Pregnancy Care Center in Vermont, a pro-choice state. 

On today's episode, you'll hear from Terry Dorsett, executive director of the Baptist Churches of New England, about the unique challenges facing New England Baptists, particularly when it comes to advocating for pre-born lives. He also discusses how cooperation with other state conventions like Tennessee and Alabama, fellow SBC entities, and local churches makes pro-life ministry possible in a region that is largely abortion permissive.

New England Baptists face other ministry obstacles and opportunities as well, including family issues, pornography and gambling. Even with these challenges, there are encouraging signs of growth. According to Lifeway Research, New England is the only region in the SBC that has grown over the past five years. 

Terry has served in New England since 1994, first as a pastor, then a church planner, a director of missions, and finally a church planting catalyst before becoming the executive director of the Baptist Churches of New England in 2015. Now let's turn to Elizabeth Bristow’s conversation with Terry Dorsett.

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Cooperation is at the heart of being a Southern Baptist. And with over 46,000 churches across our country, state conventions are critical in mobilizing and supporting pastors and ministry leaders in each state. That's why at the ERLC, we seek to come alongside these state directors and the churches they serve. 

On today's episode, you’ll hear from Thomas Hammond, executive director of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, as he shares with ERLC Interim President Dr. Gary Hollingsworth about how Georgia Baptists are equipping churches to reach their families, friends, and coworkers with the gospel all across the state. Out of the 11.5 million people who live in Georgia, roughly 7 million don’t have a relationship with Jesus. That’s why, as Thomas says, Georgia Baptists see pastors as heroes, churches as the priority, and their state as the mission field.

He’ll also talk about the encouraging growth they’re seeing across Georgia—from baptisms and church attendance to giving in local churches.

Prior to becoming the executive director of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, Thomas served as lead pastor of Alpharetta First Baptist Church. He is a graduate of Augusta State University in Augusta, Georgia as well as Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis, Tennessee. He is married to Kerri and they have two daughters. 

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The ERLC's Psalm 139 Project is an incredible initiative that places ultrasound machines in pregnancy centers, giving vulnerable mothers a window into the womb so they can see the precious lives growing within them. And now, through a new initiative of the Psalm 139 Project called "Across State Lines," Southern Baptist individuals, churches, state conventions, and other entities can work together to extend pro-life ministry from conservative states into abortion-permissible states where the need is great. 

On today's episode, you'll hear from Beth Moore, Compassion Ministries Specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, about how Tennessee Baptists are living this out by promoting a culture of life in their state and beyond. Since 2022, they’ve helped place 14 ultrasound machines in pregnancy centers across Tennessee. They're currently offering life-saving care and the hope of the gospel by partnering with others to help fund an ultrasound placement in Vermont, where abortion is much more accessible.

Listen to more episodes of The ERLC Podcast at erlc.com/podcast.

State Baptist Conventions help mobilize, unify, and equip churches who are bound together by state lines. On today's episode, Dr. Rick Lance, executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, talks with ERLC Interim President Dr. Gary Hollingsworth. They discuss the unique challenges Alabama Baptists are facing from supporting bi-vocational pastors to navigating pressing cultural issues such as abortion. They also highlight the significant pro-life work taking place through a partnership between Alabama Baptists, the ERLC’s, Psalm 139 Project, and the Alaska Baptist Resource Network that's promoting a culture of life across state lines, especially in abortion permissive states.

Listen to more episodes of The ERLC Podcast at erlc.com/podcast.

On today's episode, we talk with the chairman of the ERLC Presidential Search Committee, Mitch Kimbrell. He shares where the search committee process currently stands and how prayer has shaped and sustained the committee's work. He also shares the search committee's hope that the next leader will continue to advance the ERLC's mission by equipping Southern Baptist churches, pastors, and ministry leaders with resources that are both biblically faithful and culturally relevant. In addition to being an ERLC trustee, Mitch serves as the senior pastor at Christ Memorial Church in Williston, Vermont. 

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Today we're talking with Dr. Stephen Rummage of the Florida Baptist Convention. Our Baptist State conventions are vital in equipping and supporting Southern Baptist churches in their gospel mission. 

On today's episode, ERLC interim president Dr. Gary Hollingsworth talks to Dr. Rummage about the unique challenges churches in Florida are facing and how the ERLC can continue to serve them as they take the gospel to their communities. 

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Technology has always shaped the way we live and think with AI rapidly evolving. The question is an if it's shaping us. On today's episode, we're joined by RaShan Frost, director of research and senior fellow at the ERLC and Jason Thacker, director of the research institute at the ERLC. Together, they'll walk through the ERLC's new AI guide for churches, sharing the principles behind it and how it can help pastors and leaders think well about who God is, what it means to be human, and how we understand the nature of the world around us. 

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Welcome to the ERLC Podcast, where our goal is to help you think biblically about today’s cultural issues. I’m Lindsay Nicolet, and today we're talking about Artificial Intelligence and the Church. 

This summer, the White House released its AI Action Plan, highlighting how winning the race for AI “will usher in a new golden age of human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security.” But as Christians, we have to ask: How do we leverage this technology in ways that honor God’s good design? and How do we ensure AI is used to uphold human dignity rather than undermine it?

On today’s episode, we’re joined by RaShan Frost, director of research and senior fellow at the ERLC, to explore AI’s impact on discipleship, education, family, and the fundamental question of what it means to be human.

Learn more: https://erlc.com/erlc-podcast/what-you-should-know-about-ai/.

Listen to more episodes of The ERLC Podcast at erlc.com/podcast.

Before the Supreme Court rightly ruled in favor of a Tennessee law protecting minors from gender transition procedures, we hosted a discussion at SBC25 to talk through this important case.

ERLC President Brent Leatherwood spoke to Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and Alliance Defending Freedom’s Vice President Ryan Bangert about why this case matters, how we can protect our kids with helpful legislation, and ways the ERLC advocates for Southern Baptist interests before the courts.

Jonathan Skrmetti was sworn in to an eight-year term as Tennessee’s Attorney General and Reporter in September 2022. Prior to his current role, General Skrmetti served as Chief Counsel to Governor Bill Lee and as Chief Deputy Attorney General to his predecessor. He lives in Franklin, Tennessee, with his wife and four children. 

Ryan Bangert serves as senior vice president for strategic initiatives and special counsel to the president at Alliance Defending Freedom. He oversees ADF’s regulatory practice, government relations, and corporate engagement teams. He also advises executive leadership with strategic initiatives and appears as counsel for ADF clients. Bangert is an active member of the Texas Bar and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court and various federal trial courts and courts of appeal.

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This summer, in conjunction with anticipated Supreme Court decisions, we hosted a conversation about how Baptist state conventions are partnering with the ERLC to protect their churches’ biblical convictions when they are challenged at the Supreme Court. Panelists Nathan Lorick, executive director of Southern Baptists of Texas Convention; Julio Guarneri, Executive Director of Baptist General Convention of Texas; and Randy Davis, executive director of Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, talked with ERLC President Brent Leatherwood about how both states filed amicus briefs alongside the ERLC in Supreme Court cases for 2025. 

Listen to more episodes of The ERLC Podcast at erlc.com/podcast.