ERLC Podcast

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How can churches address sports betting? May 01, 2025

Show notes

Gambling has been on the rise in recent years, and now more than ever, it’s seeping its way into our everyday lives. From advertisements on our phones to the big screens, the gambling industry is fighting for our attention. But why is this such a problem? This industry preys on the weak and vulnerable, and profits off of those too addicted to turn away. The Bible helps us think about gambling with wisdom and discernment. For example, Matthew 6:24-34 commands us to steward our resources well and to trust God for our provision. In addition, Southern Baptists have opposed gambling for many years, with over 14 resolutions about gambling adopted by messengers.

While the problem of gambling is pervasive in many states, South Carolina and Texas are currently faced with legislation that, if passed, would legalize sports betting, leading to physical, emotional, and relational harm, particularly within families and communities.

Here to discuss the dangers of this issue is Bryant Simms, chief operations officer for the South Carolina Baptist Convention, who will offer advice to pastors on how to oppose this issue in their state. You’ll also hear from Dan Darling, director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and church engagement strategist at the ERLC.

Listen to more episodes of The ERLC Podcast at erlc.com/podcast.

Defunding Planned Parenthood Apr 17, 2025

Show notes

Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider in the United States, responsible for nearly 400,000 abortions annually. This Supreme Court term, there is an important case called Medina vs. Planned Parenthood that will determine whether individual Medicaid beneficiaries have the legal right to challenge a state’s decision to exclude certain healthcare providers, such as Planned Parenthood, from Medicaid programs.

On today’s episode, you’ll hear from Christopher Mills, founder of Spero Law in Charleston, S.C., who partnered with the ERLC to write an amicus brief that we submitted to the Supreme Court in the Medina case. Mills will discuss his work on the amicus brief and why this case matters to Southern Baptist churches and ministries across the nation.

Mills previously served as a Constitutional Law Fellow at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and a law clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas. He’s currently an Adjunct Professor at Charleston School of Law. He has authored many briefs and motions in the Supreme Court. He graduated summa cum laude from Furman University in 2009 and magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 2012.

You’ll also hear from Brent Leatherwood, president of the ERLC, about the ERLC’s ongoing campaign to defund Planned Parenthood. Southern Baptists affirm the sanctity of every human life and believe that Scripture testifies that all people are made in the image of God. It is from this belief that the ERLC has led this campaign calling on Congress to defund Planned Parenthood through the budget reconciliation process.

Listen to more episodes of The ERLC Podcast at erlc.com/podcast.

ERLC hosts pastors in Washington, D.C. Apr 10, 2025

Show notes

Over the past few months, the ERLC has actively called on Congress and the administration to take decisive action to defund Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider responsible for nearly 400,000 abortions annually.

In March, the ERLC hosted its first pastor advocacy trip where ERLC staff and Southern Baptist pastors hand-delivered 10,000 signatures for the ERLC’s campaign to defund Planned Parenthood to Senator Lankford’s and Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s offices.

The group also met with Speaker Mike Johnson, Sens. Ted Cruz and James Lankford, and others, giving them on-the-ground experience with life in D.C. and a better understanding of how the work that the ERLC does matters to the mission of our churches.

Today, you’ll hear from Brent Leatherwood, president of the ERLC, as he shares more about how pastors are helping to amplify the voice of Southern Baptists to elected officials on issues concerning the protection and dignity of preborn lives. You’ll also hear from Ben Bolin, pastor of Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Ft. Worth, Texas. He was on the trip and has served in Christian ministry for 20 years.

Listen to more episodes of The ERLC Podcast at erlc.com/podcast.

Sen. James Lankford on faith in the public square Apr 03, 2025

Show notes

In a time of intense political polarization, finding examples of faith-informed leadership that brings people together rather than pushing them apart can feel rare. That’s why today's conversation between Brent Leatherwood, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, and Republican Sen. James Lankford from Oklahoma offers such a refreshing perspective on how Christian faith can shape public service.

Before serving in Congress, Sen. Lankford worked with students and families for more than 20 years in ministry. He was elected to the US House of Representatives in 2010 and has served as a US Senator since 2014. Senator Lankford, is a native of Oklahoma where he lives with his wife and two daughters and is a member of a Southern Baptist church.

Listen to more episodes of The ERLC Podcast at erlc.com/podcast.

How the ERLC Research team supports our work in D.C. Mar 20, 2025

Show notes

At the ERLC, our goal is to serve our Southern Baptist churches in the public square. As you have heard throughout this series about our work in Washington D.C., having a presence and a voice in our nation’s capital allows us to speak up, for, and from our Southern Baptist churches before various audiences. In previous episodes, we have broken down how that work covers all three branches of government and some of the specific ways we seek to engage those arenas.

Today, our focus turns to the work of the ERLC’s Research team and how they support and undergird the work of the ERLC Policy team. Joining us is Rashan Frost. RaShan serves as the ERLC director of research and senior fellow focused on issues of human dignity. He is the teaching pastor of Centerpoint Church in North Charleston, South Carolina, and is an adjunct professor of Christian Studies at Charleston Southern University.

Frost earned his doctor of philosophy in theology with a concentration in public theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is active in denominational leadership, serving with the Charleston Baptist Association of the South Carolina Baptist Convention.

Listen to more episodes of The ERLC Podcast at erlc.com/podcast.

Making the voice of Southern Baptists heard in the legislative branch Mar 06, 2025

Show notes

The ERLC’s presence in our nation’s capital allows us to speak up, for, and from our Southern Baptist churches before various audiences. In our previous episodes, we’ve covered the executive and judicial branches, demonstrating the need for Christians’ involvement in the various facets of our government because policies have real-world effects on all of us. Today, our focus turns to the legislative branch.

To help us better understand the legislative branch and why our involvement matters is David Closson. David serves as the director of the Center for Biblical Worldview at Family Research Council. He researches and writes on life, human sexuality, religious liberty, and related issues from a biblical worldview. David is a Ph.D. candidate in Christian Ethics at Southwestern Seminary. He received his M.Div. and Th.M. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and his B.A. in political science from the University of Central Florida. David lives in the Washington, D.C. area and is a member of Capitol Hill Baptist Church.

Listen to more episodes of The ERLC Podcast at erlc.com/podcast.

What Southern Baptists should know about the judicial branch Feb 20, 2025

Show notes

The ERLC’s presence in our nation’s capital allows us to speak up, for, and from our Southern Baptist churches before various audiences, including our federal government leaders. In our last episode, we learned about how the ERLC interacts with the executive branch. Today, we’ll turn our attention to the judicial branch of government and learn about the importance of advocating for the fundamental rights and liberties that are so important to Southern Baptists.

To help us better understand this branch, why we should care about it, and how organization like the ERLC interact with the courts are Lathan Watts and Palmer Williams.

Lathan Watts serves as vice president of public affairs for Alliance Defending Freedom. Watts represents ADF at external events, conferences, press conferences, and in the media. Prior to joining ADF, Watts spent nearly 20 years in various roles within the political, public policy, and non-profit sectors. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi and his Bachelor of Arts in history from Harding University.

Palmer Williams is general counsel for the ERLC. She specializes in legal and policy analysis related to international human rights, sanctity of life, and government affairs. As a licensed attorney specializing in international law, she has extensive experience advocating for human rights on the international stage, including at the United Nations. She earned her Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt Law School and her B.A. in Political Science and Community Development from Vanderbilt University.

Listen to more episodes of The ERLC Podcast at erlc.com/podcast.

Why a Southern Baptist witness before the executive branch is vital Feb 06, 2025

Show notes

The ERLC’s presence in our nation’s capital allows us to speak up, for, and from our Southern Baptist churches before various audiences. More specifically, we’re able to interact with the executive branch of our federal government, advocating for policies that positively affect issues Southern Baptists care about and pushing back against harmful policies that violate our biblical convictions.

To help us better understand the executive branch, why Christians should care about this part of our government, and how organizations interact with it is Rachel Morrison. Rachel is a Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, where she directs EPPC’s Administrative State Accountability Project. As an attorney, her legal and policy work focuses on religious liberty, health care rights of conscience, the right to life, nondiscrimination, and civil rights. She is also a member of an SBC church.

Listen to more episodes of The ERLC Podcast at erlc.com/podcast.

How the ERLC works in D.C. for Southern Baptist churches Jan 23, 2025

Show notes

The ERLC operates out of two locations—Nashville, as our home base, and Capitol Hill, where we’ve had a permanent presence for 31 years. Our work in D.C. is focused on making the voice of Southern Baptists heard in the public policy space. We do this by regularly working with lawmakers, coalition partners, and like-minded organizations to increase our influence and maintain the stance of our SBC churches, shape the cultural debates of the day, provide pastors with information they need, and equip the SBC to stand for truth in their communities.

On today’s episode, we’re talking with Brent Leatherwood, president of the ERLC, Hannah Daniel, ERLC’s director of public policy, and Allison Cantrell, senior policy associate for the ERLC, to get a better idea of the important work your ERLC does in the public square.

Listen to more episodes of The ERLC Podcast at erlc.com/podcast.

How Christians can evaluate cultural views of marriage and sexuality Dec 26, 2024

Show notes

Throughout our marriage and family podcast series, we’ve looked at our society’s gender confusion and how it’s affecting our children, especially in schools. We’ve also heard about an important Supreme Court case that involves protecting our children from “gender transition” medical interventions. In order to hold fast to God’s good design for marriage, family, and sexuality, it’s important to understand some of the underlying problems with how our society views these fundamental realities. Joining us today to talk about this is Dr. Gregg Allison.

Dr. Allison is a senior fellow in Marriage and Family for the ERLC Research Institute. He also serves as professor of Christian Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Prior to that, he taught theology and church history at Western Seminary in Oregon. He is an author and has 18 years of ministry experience at Campus Crusade as well as serving as a missionary in Italy and Switzerland. He is a member at his church in Kentucky.

Listen to more episodes of The ERLC Podcast at erlc.com/podcast.

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