UPDATE: Leatherwood REINSTATED at Southern Baptists’ ERLC

More Defenestrations Please

IMPORTANT UPDATE:

The electrons were not dry on the post below when I saw that early this morning, the ERLC has reinstated Brent Leatherwood.  Yes, you read that right:

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.

Unless this is a temporary technicality, this is a disaster for the Southern Baptist Convention.  Both the decision to keep Leatherwood and the shambolic way they came to that decision is awful.  Faithful Southern Baptists have my prayers, including for wisdom on how to proceed now.

I will keep the post up because it is important to oust church leaders like Leatherwood.  But my praise of those in charge of this situation is obviously retracted.

ANOTHER UPDATE:
From Megan Basham:

Speaking to sources within ERLC this morning who tell me that, yes, the media blowback from CNN, the New York Times, and other secular left media orchestrated by Russell Moore was indeed what caused the ERLC to retract its dismissal of Brent Leatherwood.

That they took direction from the likes of the New York Times and Russell Moore tells you all you need to know about the rot in Big Evangelicalism, including the Southern Baptist Convention.

—

The original post with a few insertions:

Some readers may have thought that I was intemperate yesterday in my remarks about the ERLC’s glowing praise of Biden’s “selfless act” of withdrawing from the 2024 race. Well, if you think I’m harsh, this happened later in the day:

The executive committee of the board of trustees for the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention has issued the following statement.

“In accordance with our bylaws, the executive committee has removed Brent Leatherwood as president. Further details, as well as plans for the transition, will be provided at our September board meeting. Until then, the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees will assume directional responsibility for carrying out the ministry assignments for the ERLC.” 

That, the day after Leatherwood licked Biden’s shoe leather. 

That turned out to be the last straw.

Yesterday, I wrote that I expected Big Evangelicalism to “continue to carry water for Biden, Harris, or whoever the Regime puppet happens to be as well as shilling for whatever toxic ideologies and policies the Globalists push.”  I am glad to see Southern Baptists prove me wrong in their case. [Annnnd then they reinstate Leatherwood and prove me right. I’m tired of being right. - ed.]

So to the executive committee’s decision, I say, GOOD!  More of this please!

I’m wrestling with the question of when us “right-wingers” should engage in cancelling.  I’ve read good arguments on various sides, and it is a difficult ethical question. Maybe I will wrestle with it here one day.

But I have no doubt about this — when a church leader, from Sunday School to Archbishop or President, willfully uses his position to shill for a profoundly evil regime or a toxic ideology, whether it be Nazism, Old Marxism, Newer Marxisms such as Critical Theory, or evil regimes like the Biden-Harris Regime, that leader should be removed.  And people in the pews should insist on those removals and with godly force.

With a whip, Jesus drove the money changers out of the Temple for making merchandise of worship and worshippers.  Is not using one’s position in God’s Holy Church to further the ideologies and regimes of AntiChrist every bit as abominable?

So yes, more defenestrations please.  Make the previous ERLC shill Russell Moore cry more.

And keep praying for church and country during this dangerous time.  I’ve prayed the Litany three times in four days.  I don’t think I’ve done that before.

The ousting of Leatherwood makes me want to do a Te Deum today. [Well, it did. — ed.]   For my Baptist friends, that’s a longer Anglican version of “Praise the Lord!”