The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) voted against a motion to abolish the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) during its annual meeting in Dallas, Texas.
The decision came after a debate, with 3,744 out of 6,581 ballots cast voting to keep the ERLC, representing 56.89% of the vote, while 2,819 votes, or 42.84%, supported abolition. Eighteen ballots were disallowed. Under SBC bylaws, eliminating an SBC entity requires a majority vote at two consecutive annual meetings.
Pastor Willy Rice of Calvary Baptist Church in Clearwater, Florida, initiated the motion on Tuesday morning, urging members to “vote to abolish the ERLC.”
“Many have been stunned to learn that outside progressive advocacy groups have financially supported our ERLC, and there's been no public repentance, no rejection of those alliances,” Rice said. He further stated, “My head has to admit what my heart didn't want to believe. Facts are stubborn things, and the evidence is clear and the trust is broken.”
Rice emphasized that his goal was "to abolish the ERLC," but he clarified it was “not to erase it, but to restore it” and “reforge it into a voice unincumbered by outside interests.”
Some members of the SBC voiced concerns about the ERLC’s previous opposition to bills aimed at punishing women seeking abortions and its connections to the Evangelical Immigration Table, an immigration and refugee advocacy coalition. Others criticized former ERLC President Russell Moore and his condemnation of President Donald Trump.
In defense of the ERLC, Steve Willis, senior pastor at One Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, highlighted its efforts in pro-life initiatives, including helping to provide sonogram machines to pro-life pregnancy care centers.
“There is no other entity that has stood for a child's right to life more than the ERLC,” Willis said. “I encourage this body to continue the support of this vital Southern Baptist ministry and vote no on this recommendation.”
The ERLC, which traces its roots back to 1908, has faced periodic criticism over recent years concerning its leadership and advocacy positions. Attempts to defund or abolish the ERLC have been made over the past three years but have failed each time.
