Note: This article was updated Tuesday afternoon, July 23, to include new information about Kevin Smith.
The chairman of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission acted alone in firing President Brent Leatherwood yesterday, and Leatherwood remains at the helm of the agency, according to an early morning news release.
Board chairman Kevin Smith initially resigned from the executive committee and later in the day resigned from the board, according to Elizabeth Bristow, press secretary for the ERLC.
Also Tuesday afternoon, Smith issued a statement: “After multiple conversations with executive committee members of the ERLC, I was convinced in my mind that we had a consensus to remove Brent Leatherwood as the president of the ERLC. It is a delicate matter and, in an effort to deal with it expeditiously, I acted in good faith but without a formal vote of the executive committee. This was an error on my part, and I accept full responsibility. At this time, the executive committee does not wish to move forward with my course of action. Therefore, I am resigning as the chairman of the ERLC board of trustees and as a trustee.”
Bristow posted the initial retraction Tuesday morning, July 23, with the headline, “ERLC Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees Issues Retraction Regarding ERLC President Brent Leatherwood.”
Elizabeth Bristow
Bristow also had posted the announcement of Leatherwood’s firing after hours the night before.
BNG learned from reliable sources that Bristow, an employee of the ERLC, was forced to issue the first statement by board chair Smith, who acted unilaterally in firing Leatherwood and without the consent of the board.
The July 23 news release 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. Brent Leatherwood remains the President of the ERLC and has our support moving forward.”
Leatherwood said shortly thereafter on X: “I deeply appreciate everyone who has reached out, especially our trustees who were absolutely bewildered at what took place yesterday and jumped in to set the record straight. More to come.”
Kevin Smith
This entire drama has been wrapped in mystery, with little information made public. Yesterday’s release saying Leatherwood had been removed said more information would be given when the full board meets in seven weeks.
Now, BNG has confirmed that — as the latest news release hints — Chairman Smith did not consult all the members of the board’s executive committee but went himself to ask for Leatherwood’s resignation. When Leatherwood refused to resign, Smith apparently fired him and orchestrated the public announcement — all in violation of the board’s policies.
Most board members did not know of Leatherwood’s removal until they read the three-paragraph story in Baptist Press. What also is not known is how Baptist Press played into the drama, as both the initial story and the follow up were posted outside of regular hours, which is highly unusual for BP.
ERLC trustee Eric Costanzo, pastor at South Tulsa Baptist Church in Tulsa, Okla., said on X Tuesday morning: “Our president @LeatherwoodERLC was NOT fired yesterday. See this press release. Brent deserves countless apologies for this error and all the assumptions that came with it. He has proven to be a faithful leader and man of integrity time and again.”
What reportedly prompted Smith’s action against Leatherwood was a comment Leatherwood gave BP the day before commending President Joe Biden for leaving the presidential race: “Not only is this a historic decision, it is the right decision for our nation. … Despite what some partisans will say, to walk away from power is a selfless act — the kind that has become all too rare in our culture.”
That comment set off a firestorm of criticism of Leatherwood and the ELRC online, mainly from the far right Calvinist wing of the SBC that has been advocating to defund or abolish the agency for several years. The same group of pro-Trump Southern Baptists so severely critiqued Leatherwood’s predecessor, Russell Moore, that he resigned. Moore now serves as editor in chief of Christianity Today.
BP identified the ERLC board officers as:
- Tony Beam, vice chair; Greer, S.C.
- Amy Pettway, secretary; Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
- Anthony Cox, chair of the research and public policy committee; Phoenix
- Nathan Lugbill, chair of the administrative and finance committee, Indianapolis
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