The President of the Commission for Ethics and Religious Freedom has been removed from office

Brent Leatherwood, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s public policy department, has been removed from his position.

On Monday evening, the SBC Commission on Ethics and Religious Liberty issued a brief statement confirming Leatherwood’s removal, but provided few details about the reasons behind the decision.

But the abrupt removal came less than 24 hours after Leatherwood published a column calling President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the presidential race the “right” decision. Leatherwood also provided a separate statement to The Baptist Press calling Biden’s decision “selfless.”

“We should all express our gratitude that President Biden has put the needs of the nation ahead of his personal ambitions,” Leatherwood said. “Contrary to what some partisans say, stepping down from power is a selfless act — one that has become all too rare in our culture.”

The column, published by The Baptist Press and shared on ERLC social media accounts, immediately sparked a negative response from some far-right factions within the church.

While Leatherwood praised Biden’s decision in his column, he also criticized Vice President Kamala Harris’ record and potential presidential run, writing that it would be “a cause for grave concern among pro-lifers and those who hold to the biblical definition of marriage.”

Leatherwood has been a target in recent years of an opposing conservative faction that has sought to push the denomination even farther right politically. Faction leaders, most notably Florida pastor Tom Ascol, sought to abolish the SBC’s public policy department at the denomination’s annual meeting in Indianapolis in June, the second such attempt in the past few years.

Much like the problems Leatherwood’s predecessor, Russell Moore, faced, the conservative opposition faction tried to force the ERLC, already a deeply conservative body, to move even further to the right in its policy positions.

“This is not only a historic decision, it is the right decision for our convention,” Ascol said on social media about Leatherwood’s removal, mocking the former ERLC president’s statement about Biden. “Contrary to what some will say, the trustees’ removal of Brent from this position of power is a just act — one that has become all too rare among trustees in our recent SBC culture.”

Other leading Southern Baptists asked for prayers for Leatherwood and his family following his ouster.

“As Southern Baptists, we should care about our entities and their well-being,” Southern Baptist Convention President Clint Pressley wrote on social media. “Let us pray for Brent, for the ERLC, its staff and its trustees.”

Luke Holmes, a pastor from Oklahoma, echoed those comments.

“Pray for the Leatherwoods, the trustees and the staff of the ERLC as they move forward,” Holmes said on social media. “This is an important moment in our nation’s history, and the mission of the ERLC is important in today’s climate.

Phillip Bethancourt, a Texas pastor who served with Moore at the ERLC, said he was “saddened to see this unfold” and urged people to pray. He said on social media that the ERLC “still has a critical role to play in this hostile cultural moment.”

Leatherwood was first appointed to the presidency in September 2022 after previously serving as interim president following Moore’s resignation. He is a former executive director of the Tennessee Republican Party.

We have not yet been able to obtain comment from him.