NASHVILLE (BP) – Brent Leatherwood remains president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. ERLC executive board members say board Chairman Kevin Smith acted alone in an announcement of Leatherwood’s removal on July 22 and violated the entity’s bylaws.
A early morning release from the ERLC executive committee says:
“As members of the ERLC’s Executive Committee, we formally retract the press release which was sent yesterday.
“There was not an authorized meeting, vote, or action taken by the Executive Committee. Kevin Smith has resigned as Chair of the Executive Committee.”
The release says that Leatherwood has full support from the executive committee moving forward.
Leatherwood has served as president of the SBC’s public policy entity since September 2022.
The ERLC’s officers are:
- Tony Beam, vice chair; Greer, S.C.;
- Amy Pettway, secretary; Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.;
- Anthony Cox, chair of the research & public policy committee; Phoenix, Ariz.; and
- Nathan Lugbill, chair of the administrative & finance committee, Indianapolis, Ind.
Smith is a pastor at Family Church in West Palm Beach, Florida. He previously served as director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware and has been on the ERLC board since 2018.
Vice Chairman Tony Beam is senior director for church and community engagement at North Greenville University and director of the office of public policy for the South Carolina Baptist Convention.
Former Michigan board member Michael Guyer stepped down in June. “Michael Guyer was not eligible for a second term as trustee. Due to the latest ACP data, the state of Michigan has fallen below the 25,000-messenger threshold necessary to retain representation on the ERLC trustee board. Therefore, he is no longer an officer,” the ERLC told Baptist Press.
The ERLC trustees are scheduled to meet September 10-11 in Nashville, Tenn.