As the Southern Baptist Convention prepares for its Annual Meeting in Dallas next month, a divide has emerged among former SBC presidents over the future of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, the denomination’s public policy arm. Ten past leaders of the Convention have issued a letter urging continued support for the ERLC, while former president Jack Graham has called for its defunding, labeling the commission divisive.
Graham, who has led Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, since 1989, wrote on X that he does “not support the ERLC and believe[s] the organization has been the single most divisive entity of the SBC since the days of Russell Moore.” He added, “I believe it should be de funded.” Graham also suggested this was why he was not asked to sign the letter supporting the ERLC.
The letter, released Thursday and signed by pastors and past SBC Presidents Bart Barber, Ed Litton, J.D. Greear, Steve Gaines, Fred Luter, Bryant Wright, James Merritt, Tom Elliff, Jim Henry and Jimmy Draper, states that the ERLC has “steadfastly defended our Southern Baptist commitment to religious liberty.”
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It referred to the commission’s work in opposing Roe v. Wade, pornography and transgender ideology, and promoting life, marriage and family values.
While the signatories acknowledge differences in their views on the ERLC’s recent direction, they expressed a unified position against dismantling the entity.
The letter notes, “Some of us have been enthusiastic supporters of the ERLC. Some of us have been vocal critics. However, we remain unconvinced by the case for discontinuing the ERLC.”
Current SBC President Clint Pressley was not among the signatories. In a statement to Baptist Press, he said, “I love and respect each of our past SBC presidents. My goal is to lead us through a meeting that is fair to all and honoring to God.”
The debate over the ERLC’s future is not new. Motions to defund or abolish the commission have been raised at the last three Annual Meetings. Though none have succeeded so far, last year’s attempt garnered support from over 30% of messengers, despite failing to trigger an official vote. A similar motion is expected this year.
Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and himself a former candidate for SBC president, expressed reservations about the ERLC’s relevance on the April 30 episode of the “Baptist21” podcast. He said he had “grave doubts about the utility of the ERLC,” adding that these doubts are not limited to the current context. Still, Mohler added, “It would be wrong for me to lead any such effort” to disband the entity.
Richard D. Land, who served as ERLC president from 1988 to 2013, defended the commission in a piece co-published by The Christian Post. He described the ERLC’s role as essential for helping Southern Baptists interpret moral and policy challenges through a biblical lens. He also argued that calls to abolish the ERLC due to disagreement with past leadership were misguided.
“The answer to such disagreements related to one of our entities is greater discussion and dialogue, not eliminating the entity altogether,” wrote Land, who also serves as the executive editor of CP and is president emeritus of the ERLC.
Graham’s criticism of the ERLC traces back to at least 2016, when he objected to then-president Russell Moore’s public condemnation of President Donald Trump and some of his supporters, as noted by Baptist Press. In a Wall Street Journal interview that year, Graham said Moore’s remarks displayed “disrespectfulness towards Southern Baptists and other evangelical leaders.”
In 2017, Prestonwood Baptist Church announced it would withhold Cooperative Program funds pending a review of ERLC activities. The church later resumed giving without designating funds.
On May 20 of this year, Graham was named to the advisory board of President Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, adding further context to his renewed public stance against the ERLC.
The former presidents’ letter described efforts to defund the ERLC as extreme, stating that Southern Baptists do not govern “by ultimatum.” Instead of taking a “sledgehammer” to the issue, the letter encourages a more deliberate approach through trustee governance and internal reform where needed. “There is a difference between refinement and eradication,” the signatories wrote.
Scott Foshie, chairman of the ERLC trustees, responded positively to the letter, saying he was thankful for the expression of support and that the trustees were “committed to continue building on the good work already happening through the ERLC.”
The letter also urges messengers to “pray, to listen,” and, if a motion to disband the ERLC arises, to “vote with confidence that Southern Baptists still have a role to play in the public square, and that the ERLC can help us do it faithfully.”
