Southern Baptist trustees back agency president but warn against needless controversy
Trustees for the Southern Baptists' policy arm affirmed the leadership of their president in the face of criticism from some church members
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Less than two months after the Southern Baptists’ policy arm issued an embarrassing retraction of an announcement of its leader’s firing, it gave him a strong vote of confidence this week — but with a caution against stirring unnecessary controversy.
Trustees for the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission affirmed both their president, Brent Leatherwood, and the direction of the organization, which has long been on the vanguard of the religious right in voicing the conservative views of the nation's largest Protestant denomination.
“We strongly affirm the ERLC under the leadership of Brent Leatherwood,” said incoming chair Scott Foshie. “The world and Southern Baptists need to hear that.”
His words echoed a formal statement issued by the trustees Wednesday after a lengthy closed-door session Tuesday. The statement acknowledged that, while the commission speaks out on numerous contentious issues where controversy is inevitable, that's all the more reason not to stir up more controversy on nonessential issues.
