NASHVILLE (BP) – The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission board of trustees named Brent Leatherwood the new president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s public policy entity in a unanimous vote Sept. 13.
“I am honored and humbled to be given the opportunity to serve this historic institution as its next president,” Leatherwood told Baptist Press. “Rooted in Scripture and guided by the Baptist Faith and Message, this team will remain fervently committed to carrying out our ministry assignment — faithfully serving our churches and growing our convictional presence in the public square on behalf of our convention.
“That means speaking with biblical clarity about the issues that matter to Baptists: the inherent value of life, religious liberty at home and abroad, human dignity and the flourishing of families,” he said.
Leatherwood has served as the entity’s acting interim president since Sept. 14, 2021. He follows Russell Moore who left the post in May 2021. Moore brought Leatherwood on board in 2017 to serve as the director of strategic partnerships.
Leatherwood is a deacon at The Church at Avenue South, a Nashville church plant of Brentwood Church, Brentwood, Tenn.
He served as the executive director of the Tennessee Republican Party from December 2012 to December 2016. He also worked on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., as a senior legislative aide to former Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla).