ERLC Podcast

Today, we're talking with Congressman Mark Harris of North Carolina’s 8th District.

In this episode, ERLC President Dr. Evan Lenow talks with Congressman Harris about his path to public office and his years of ministry among Southern Baptists in North Carolina. 

Before serving in Washington, Congressman Harris pastored First Baptist Church Charlotte for more than a decade and later served as president of the North Carolina Baptist Convention. He now brings that background in pastoral ministry and service to his work in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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On today's episode, ERLC Director of Research Dr. RaShan Frost speaks with Dr. Quinn about his family's journey with foster care and adoption and how Christians can approach this topic from a biblical perspective. 

In light of Orphans and Widows Sunday being recognized by our SBC churches on November 8, we want to highlight how Christians can live out the biblical call to care for those in need. Dr. Quinn's story offers us a personal look at how families can put that calling into practice and how churches can come alongside them in this important work. 

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On this episode, you’ll hear from ERLC President Dr. Evan Lenow as he speaks with Dr. Fowler about an upcoming pro-life ballot initiative that seeks to prohibit abortion and gender transition procedures for minors. If passed, this measure would ban most abortions in Missouri, a state which currently allows abortion up to fetal viability. 

Dr. Fowler shares more about why this ballot initiative matters for Missouri Baptists and how this vote could affect families and communities in the state. 

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

On today's episode, ERLC President Dr. Evan Lenow speaks with Zack Pruitt, the ERLC’s vice president of public policy and general counsel.  Zack shares about his new role and how he'll contribute to the ERLC's mission to assist churches by providing practical resources and advocating for Southern Baptist convictions. Zack began his role at the ERLC on September 14th of this year. 

Prior to joining the ERLC, he served as senior counsel and director of U.S. government relations for Alliance Defending Freedom, the world's largest legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, the sanc...

This episode features a conversation about the newly released book, "Faith and Freedom: Six Theological Reflections on Religious Liberty."

On today's episode, ERLC President Dr. Evan Lenow speaks with the book's editor, Dr. Jennifer Patterson, and one of the book's contributors, Dr. Jonathan Leeman. In their conversation, they discuss how religious liberty has been understood across different evangelical traditions, as well as the biblical and doctrinal arguments for protecting this First Freedom. 

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This episode features Dr. Willy Rice, president of the Southern Baptist Convention. 

On today's episode, ERLC President Dr. Evan Lenow speaks with Dr. Rice about his recent election as the 66th president of the SBC, his vision for the convention, and how the ERLC can partner with and equip churches as they navigate complex cultural issues. 

In addition to serving as SBC president, Dr. Rice has been the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Clearwater, Florida since 2004 and has previously pastored churches in the Florida Panhandle and in Alabama. 

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This episode features the ERLC's new church guide, "What God Has Joined Together: A Practical Guide for Honoring God's Design for Marriage." 

On today's episode, you'll hear from ERLC Director of Research, Dr. RaShan Frost, as he speaks with Dr. Lilly Park, one of the principal advisors on the church guide, about how to approach marriage, singleness, and sexuality from a biblical perspective in today's culture. 

She also addresses how the church can help Christians, both single and married, navigate challenges stemming from cultural pressures and the effects of past sexual sin while finding hope an...

Today's episode features Grace Jin Drexel, recipient of the ERLC's John Leland Religious Liberty Award.

In October 2025, Grace's father, Pastor Jin, was arrested in his home as part of a nationwide crackdown in China on independent Christian churches. He and 17 other leaders from Zion Church were arrested and imprisoned by the Chinese Communist Party. Following her father's arrest, Grace began publicly advocating for his release and for the release of other Christian leaders detained by the Chinese Communist Party. Her advocacy continued until her father was released on July 3, 2026. 

On today's episode, Dr. Evan Lenow t...

On today's episode, ERLC President Dr. Evan Lenow talks with Dr. Foshie about the encouraging work and unique challenges facing churches across Illinois. 

With more than 900 churches, Illinois Baptists are working together to advance the gospel to the 12.7 million people who call Illinois home, while also reaching people from more than 200 nations who live in the state. 

Dr. Foshie also shares how Southern Baptists in Illinois are advocating for preborn lives and mothers facing unplanned pregnancies, particularly in a state known as an abortion destination. 

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The Brentwood Statement is a collaborative statement from Southern Baptist leaders, led by Lifeway, designed to help guide Christian ministers as they navigate the opportunities and challenges of AI in ministry and everyday life. Dr. Jason Thacker, director of the ERLC's Research Institute and a senior fellow, served as the primary author of that statement. 

On today's episode, Dr. RaShan Frost, ERLC's director of research, speaks with Dr. Thacker about how pastors and church leaders can approach artificial intelligence with wisdom and discernment. They also discuss how technology is shaping us and where Christians can exercise wisdom a...

As Matthew 5:13-16 tells us, we are to be salt and light in a dark world. In this new series, we want to encourage you with examples of Southern Baptists who are bringing the truth of God's Word to bear, not only in the halls of Congress, but in their local communities. By sharing these stories, we hope to spur you on to ask, "What can I do?" as you engage the culture with the hope of the gospel? 

On today's episode, you'll hear from Dr. Lenow, president of the ERLC, as he shares about what this l...

As a state convention of more than 2,000 churches, Mississippi Baptists are seeking to equip local churches to make disciples in Mississippi and around the world. From college campuses to prison systems to communities experiencing poverty, they are taking opportunities to share the hope of the gospel in every corner of Mississippi.

On today’s episode, ERLC President Dr. Evan Lenow speaks with Dr. Shawn Parker about the exciting work God is doing among Mississippi churches, as well as the challenges they continue to work through for the sake of the gospel.

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Several years ago, Dr. Mark Liederbach, senior professor of ethics, theology, and culture at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Dr. Evan Lenow, president of the ERLC, collaborated on a book titled “Ethics as Worship: The Pursuit of Moral Discipleship,” which released in 2021. 

On today's episode, ERLC Director of Research, Dr. RaShan Frost, speaks with Dr. Lenow and Dr. Liederbach about the process of writing this book together and their approach to teaching about a biblical view of ethics that places worship of God as the primary motivation and goal, and how that shapes the way we live. In ad...

Our nation's 250th anniversary was a momentous occasion. To celebrate America's founding and Christianity's influence throughout her history, we hosted an event on Monday night of this year's SBC Annual Meeting, featuring a keynote and a panel based on the ERLC's newest collection of essays titled "One Nation Under God: Reflections on 250 Years of Faith and Democracy". 

On today's episode, you'll hear the second part of our panel discussion at SBC26 featuring ERLC Director of Research Dr. RaShan Frost, and ERLC research fellows, including Nathan Finn of Greenville University, Dustin Bruce of Boyce College, Daniel Darling of S...

On Monday night of this year's annual meeting in Orlando, Florida, the ERLC hosted a packed dinner event in honor of our nation's 250th anniversary. During the event, the room was greeted by Dr. Evan Lenow during his second week as ERLC president, in addition to hearing a keynote address and a panel. 

On today's episode, you'll hear from keynote speaker, ERLC Director of Research Dr. RaShan Frost, as he explores the responsibility we have to live as faithful citizens of the Kingdom of God while also living as faithful citizens in the United States. 

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Don Currence has become a staple at SBC annual meetings over the years in his service as registration secretary and assisting his predecessor. Don has a unique insight into ministry and public service. In addition to his responsibilities within the SBC, Don has also served as mayor of Ozark, Missouri since 2023 and as the administrative pastor at First Baptist Church of Ozark since 1993. He also volunteers his time as an Ozark Police Department chaplain and the interim fire district chaplain. 

On today's episode, you'll hear from ERLC President Dr. Evan Lenow as he speaks with Don about h...

This summer's Supreme Court case, First Choice Women's Resource Centers, Inc. v. Davenport was about the state of New Jersey issuing a subpoena for the personal information of First Choice donors all in an attempt to intimidate the supporters' pro-life mission. On April 29, the Supreme Court handed down a unanimous victory for First Choice, upholding the ruling that First Choice could protect its First Amendment rights in federal court. 

On today's episode, Rachel Wiles, director of the ERLC's Psalm 139 Project, speaks with Aimee about the Supreme Court case and the unique challenges of serving women and families i...

Dr. Hollingsworth joined the ERLC as the entity's interim president on October 1, 2025 and concluded his tenure on May 31, 2026. On today's episode, you'll hear from Dr. Hollingsworth as he reflects on his time leading the ERLC and the firsthand impact he has seen the ERLC's work have on assisting churches in how to address cultural issues from a biblical perspective. 

He also shares what he learned from working alongside pastors, state convention leaders, and policymakers to advocate for the priorities and convictions Southern Baptists care deeply about regarding issues in the public square. 

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North Carolina Baptists have been a longtime partner in advocating for the lives of our smallest neighbors, pre-born children. They have generously donated nearly 10% of the ultrasound machines that the ERLC'S Psalm 139 Project has placed in pregnancy resource centers. 

On today's episode, ERLC President-Elect, Dr. Evan Lenow speaks with Todd Unzicker about this ongoing partnership to save lives. On May 8, North Carolina Baptists joined the ERLC in a milestone dedication by placing the Psalm 139 Project's 100th ultrasound machine at Mercy House Pregnancy Resource Center in Elizabethtown, North Carolina. 

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As the executive director for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, Dr. Nathan Lorick has a passion to see the Lord work in his state. The SBTC's mission is to mobilize its 2,880 churches to multiply disciple making movements in Texas and around the world. In the past year, the convention has planted 68 churches and projects even more in the year ahead. 

In addition to planting churches in their own state, they're committed to building partnerships across the country and around the world for the sake of the gospel. The SBTC is committed to assisting churches in dealing w...

On April 13th, we were excited to announce that Dr. Evan Lenow was unanimously elected by the ERLC’s Board of Trustees to fill the role as the Commission’s next president. 

On today’s episode, Dr. RaShan Frost, ERLC director of research, speaks with Dr. Lenow about his vision for the ERLC as he steps into his new role on June 1 and how his Southern Baptist background has shaped him personally and professionally. They’ll also discuss Dr. Lenow’s passion for building relationships across the convention and equipping churches to address complex, cultural issues from a biblical...

This July marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. As we approach the SBC Annual Meeting in Orlando, we’re developing resources to help you equip your congregation to live out their faith in the public square—engaging in cultural issues with a faithful gospel witness. 

On today’s episode, you’ll hear from Dr. RaShan Frost, ERLC director of research, as he speaks with Dr. Nathan Finn and Dan Darling. In light of this significant milestone in America’s history, they’ll discuss what healthy, Christian patriotism looks like and how to cultivate a steadfast...

As Southern Baptists, we believe in the sanctity of all lives, from conception to the natural end of life. But in recent years, we’ve seen the value of human life increasingly challenged through legislation, both domestically and internationally, that seeks to legalize physician-assisted suicide. 

Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed heartbreaking developments related to end-of-life issues. In Canada, the country has formally recommended expanding medical assistance in dying to include mature minors. In the U.K., Parliament has advanced multiple bills that would legalize the practice. And just this past year, three U.S. state...

More and more pastors and ministry leaders are walking alongside couples facing infertility and the difficult questions surrounding assisted reproductive technologies. For many couples, the good longing for a child is accompanied by deep grief, complex decisions, and quiet heartache. Often, these struggles remain largely unseen within the life of the church. 

To equip churches, the ERLC recently released a new resource, "Desiring Children: A Practical Guide to Addressing Assisted Reproductive Technologies in the Church". 

On today’s episode, we’ll be discussing the ethical and moral considerations around assisted reproductive technologies and how church leader...

Chemical abortion, or what many refer to as the abortion pill is now the most common method of ending a pregnancy in the United States. Yet the legal landscape surrounding its approval, safety standards, and reporting requirements is riddled with gaps, inconsistencies, and misconceptions. The medical realities behind how these drugs work—and what happens when they don’t—are rarely discussed honestly, leading many women down a dangerous road that can result in life-threatening issues.

On this episode of the ERLC Podcast, Rachel Wiles, deputy chief of staff at the ERLC and director of the Psalm 139 Projec...

In this episode of the ERLC Podcast, Interim President Dr. Gary Hollingsworth sits down with Dr. Fred Luter, senior pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church and former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, to discuss racial reconciliation in the life of the church. Together, they reflect on the power of the gospel to break down dividing walls, share encouraging stories of progress within the SBC, and offer practical guidance for pastors seeking to lead their congregations toward greater unity. As Southern Baptists observe Racial Reconciliation Sunday, this conversation reminds us that a free and faithful church should reflect the...

Southern Baptists have had a longstanding commitment to advocating for the protection of preborn lives and opposing abortion in every form. This is rooted in the biblical revelation that all people are created in God's image and have inherent value. During a recent pro-life advocacy trip to Washington, D.C., Southern Baptist college students, leaders, and pastors joined us for the 2026 March for Life and advocated alongside us on Capitol Hill. 

On this episode, you'll hear from two individuals involved in that trip, Dr. Dub Oliver, president of Union University, and Jason Marlin, lead pastor of First B...

Every year, the ERLC puts together a Public Policy Agenda which focuses on policy priorities that are rooted in Scripture, reflective of the Baptist Faith & Message, and responsive to actions taken by messengers from SBC churches.

This year’s Public Policy Agenda hits on a range of issues, including domestic and international religious liberty, opposing taxpayer funding for "gender transition" procedures, ethical considerations of artificial intelligence, and much more. As the second session of the 119th Congress begins, the ERLC has an opportunity to continue advocating for the issues Southern Baptists care about most, seeking to bring th...

On today's episode, you'll hear from Jennie Lichter, president of the March for Life, as she speaks with ERLC Interim President Dr. Gary Hollingsworth about the importance of the March for Life, its impact on our culture today, particularly since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, and why Southern Baptists should be invovled. 

The March for Life in Washington, D.C., is the world’s largest annual human rights demonstration, promoting the beauty and dignity of every human life by working to end abortion. This year's march will take place on January 23, celebrating the movement's enduring commitment to...

As part of our Across State Lines emphasis, New England Baptist partnered with the ERLC'S Psalm 139 Project to donate an ultrasound machine to Aspire Now Pregnancy Care Center in Vermont, a pro-choice state. 

On today's episode, you'll hear from Terry Dorsett, executive director of the Baptist Churches of New England, about the unique challenges facing New England Baptists, particularly when it comes to advocating for pre-born lives. He also discusses how cooperation with other state conventions like Tennessee and Alabama, fellow SBC entities, and local churches makes pro-life ministry possible in a region that is largely abortion p...

Cooperation is at the heart of being a Southern Baptist. And with over 46,000 churches across our country, state conventions are critical in mobilizing and supporting pastors and ministry leaders in each state. That's why at the ERLC, we seek to come alongside these state directors and the churches they serve. 

On today's episode, you’ll hear from Thomas Hammond, executive director of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, as he shares with ERLC Interim President Dr. Gary Hollingsworth about how Georgia Baptists are equipping churches to reach their families, friends, and coworkers with the gospel all across the sta...

The ERLC's Psalm 139 Project is an incredible initiative that places ultrasound machines in pregnancy centers, giving vulnerable mothers a window into the womb so they can see the precious lives growing within them. And now, through a new initiative of the Psalm 139 Project called "Across State Lines," Southern Baptist individuals, churches, state conventions, and other entities can work together to extend pro-life ministry from conservative states into abortion-permissible states where the need is great. 

On today's episode, you'll hear from Beth Moore, Compassion Ministries Specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, about how Tennessee Baptists are living t...

State Baptist Conventions help mobilize, unify, and equip churches who are bound together by state lines. On today's episode, Dr. Rick Lance, executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, talks with ERLC Interim President Dr. Gary Hollingsworth. They discuss the unique challenges Alabama Baptists are facing from supporting bi-vocational pastors to navigating pressing cultural issues such as abortion. They also highlight the significant pro-life work taking place through a partnership between Alabama Baptists, the ERLC’s, Psalm 139 Project, and the Alaska Baptist Resource Network that's promoting a culture of life across state lines, especially in abortion pe...

On today's episode, we talk with the chairman of the ERLC Presidential Search Committee, Mitch Kimbrell. He shares where the search committee process currently stands and how prayer has shaped and sustained the committee's work. He also shares the search committee's hope that the next leader will continue to advance the ERLC's mission by equipping Southern Baptist churches, pastors, and ministry leaders with resources that are both biblically faithful and culturally relevant. In addition to being an ERLC trustee, Mitch serves as the senior pastor at Christ Memorial Church in Williston, Vermont. 

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Today we're talking with Dr. Stephen Rummage of the Florida Baptist Convention. Our Baptist State conventions are vital in equipping and supporting Southern Baptist churches in their gospel mission. 

On today's episode, ERLC interim president Dr. Gary Hollingsworth talks to Dr. Rummage about the unique challenges churches in Florida are facing and how the ERLC can continue to serve them as they take the gospel to their communities. 

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

Technology has always shaped the way we live and think with AI rapidly evolving. The question is an if it's shaping us. On today's episode, we're joined by RaShan Frost, director of research and senior fellow at the ERLC and Jason Thacker, director of the research institute at the ERLC. Together, they'll walk through the ERLC's new AI guide for churches, sharing the principles behind it and how it can help pastors and leaders think well about who God is, what it means to be human, and how we understand the nature of the world around us. 

Welcome to the ERLC Podcast, where our goal is to help you think biblically about today’s cultural issues. I’m Lindsay Nicolet, and today we're talking about Artificial Intelligence and the Church. 

This summer, the White House released its AI Action Plan, highlighting how winning the race for AI “will usher in a new golden age of human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security.” But as Christians, we have to ask: How do we leverage this technology in ways that honor God’s good design? and How do we ensure AI is used to uphold human dignity rat...

Before the Supreme Court rightly ruled in favor of a Tennessee law protecting minors from gender transition procedures, we hosted a discussion at SBC25 to talk through this important case.

ERLC President Brent Leatherwood spoke to Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and Alliance Defending Freedom’s Vice President Ryan Bangert about why this case matters, how we can protect our kids with helpful legislation, and ways the ERLC advocates for Southern Baptist interests before the courts.

Jonathan Skrmetti was sworn in to an eight-year term as Tennessee’s Attorney General and Reporter in September 2022. Prior to h...

This summer, in conjunction with anticipated Supreme Court decisions, we hosted a conversation about how Baptist state conventions are partnering with the ERLC to protect their churches’ biblical convictions when they are challenged at the Supreme Court. Panelists Nathan Lorick, executive director of Southern Baptists of Texas Convention; Julio Guarneri, Executive Director of Baptist General Convention of Texas; and Randy Davis, executive director of Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, talked with ERLC President Brent Leatherwood about how both states filed amicus briefs alongside the ERLC in Supreme Court cases for 2025. 

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How does being a Christians affect one’s public service? And what can Southern Baptists do to influence the public square? During SBC25 in Dallas, ERLC President Brent Leatherwood spoke with Ambassador designate Mark Walker, President Trump’s appointee for the Office of International Religious Freedom, Congressman Nathaniel Moran from Texas, and Sen. James Lankford from Oklahoma about being a Christian in Washington, D.C.

Before being named as the Ambassador designate, Mark Walker represented North Carolina’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2015 to 2021. Congressman Nathaniel Moran serves the first district of Tex...