In a long-overdue move that reflects the growing frustration of grassroots Southern Baptists, Brent Leatherwood has finally stepped down as president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) of the Southern Baptist Convention, announcing:

The Board of Trustees of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) today accepted the resignation of Brent Leatherwood as president and thanked him for his leadership, dedication, and service to the SBC. Beginning today, Vice President and Chief of Staff Miles Mullin will be leading the ERLC as acting president. 

This marks the second time Leatherwood has been “fired”—but the first time it’s stuck.

Back in July 2024, Protestia reported that Leatherwood had been removed from his position. ERLC Trustee Chairman Kevin Smith had, in fact, dismissed Leatherwood in what was initially understood as a done deal. However, as we later reported, Smith acted unilaterally in a way that violated the ERLC’s bylaws, which require action from the full board of trustees. The mistake triggered a wave of internal chaos, public pressure from progressive media (allegedly coordinated in part by former ERLC head Russell Moore), and ultimately resulted in Leatherwood’s reinstatement.

This time, however, Leatherwood seems to have seen the writing on the wall and resigned before being removed by the trustees. Leatherwood is out after two straight years where around 40% of SBC messengers voted to abolish the ERLC entirely to give the entity a year to correct course (affirmative votes at two consecutive meetings are required to abolish an SBC entity).

A Presidency Marked by Betrayal

Leatherwood’s tenure at the ERLC has been defined by policy positions and public statements that consistently put him at odds with the convictions of the majority of Southern Baptists. Among the most egregious:

• Opposition to Abortion Abolition
  Leatherwood, like his predecessor Russell Moore, rejected the abolitionist position on abortion, opposing bills that would criminalize it as murder and instead supporting the regulatory, incrementalist approach preferred by establishment pro-life lobbyists.
• Cozying Up to the Democratic Party
  In a shameful show of political compromise, Leatherwood and then-SBC President Bart Barber publicly thanked Democratic lawmakers for their role in passing pro-abortion legislation—part of a broader pattern of currying favor with the left while neglecting biblical clarity on issues of life and justice.
• Undermining Conservative Immigration Policies
  In January 2025, Leatherwood joined with PCA leaders in signing a statement opposing former President Trump’s refugee ban—a move that prioritized political correctness over national security and biblical prudence. A few months later, the ERLC joined forces with the liberal Evangelical Immigration Table to endorse the so-called “Dignity Act”, effectively supporting a sweeping amnesty proposal—including legal status for millions of undocumented immigrants—that is deeply unpopular among the majority of Southern Baptists, who continue to prioritize rule-of-law and border integrity. As highlighted in an X (formerly Twitter) post, the sign-on was publicly acknowledged by Baptist leaders; Leatherwood’s own office responded with equivocal rhetoric about “dignity” and compassion, avoiding any acknowledgment of the bill’s amnesty provisions or the unintended consequences cited by conservative critics.
• Snubbing Abolitionist Legislation Again
  In early 2024, the ERLC officially endorsed a weak, compromise-laden “pro-life” bill while deliberately ignoring a far more robust abolitionist measure gaining traction in conservative statehouses. The move once again revealed Leatherwood’s loyalty to establishment politics over moral clarity.

Leatherwood also used his position at the ERLC to suppress transparency in the wake of the Covenant School shooting in Nashville—a tragedy with personal implications for him as a Covenant parent. When conservative commentator Steven Crowder released three pages of the transgender shooter’s manifesto in November 2023, Leatherwood condemned the disclosure, insisting it allowed the killer “to terrorize us with words from the grave” and urging commentators to “just be a human for once.” He did so using the ERLC platform, despite widespread public interest in understanding the shooter’s ideological motives. Leatherwood’s resistance to releasing the manifesto aligned with broader efforts to downplay the role of gender identity and ideological extremism in the attack. Compounding this, Leatherwood has consistently advocated for gun control measures—including expanded background checks and so-called “red flag” laws—stances that place him at odds with the majority of Southern Baptists and reveal his tendency to echo secular policy narratives rather than represent the convictions of the churches the ERLC is supposed to represent.

What’s Next for the ERLC?

The ERLC, ostensibly the SBC’s institution for cultural engagement and public theology, has been mired in controversy for years—often serving as a platform for elite-driven, compromise-ridden “winsomeness” rather than prophetic Christian witness. Leatherwood’s removal offers an opportunity for course correction, but only if the next leader is willing to confront the culture with courage, not capitulation.

Until then, Southern Baptists must remain vigilant. Institutions rarely reform themselves without consistent pressure from the pews.