The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission’s 2025 was highlighted by impactful Supreme Court amicus briefs, a new emphasis of the Psalm 139 Project, and a variety of new church resources, events and advocacy work.
ERLC Interim President Gary Hollingsworth expressed his thankfulness for the work of the entity and called serving in his position “an honor.”
“As I reflect on all the Lord has accomplished through this entity in 2025, I am both humbled and grateful to be part of a team so committed to engaging the culture with the hope of the Gospel,” said Hollingsworth, who was unanimously elected as interim president in September.
Several notable ERLC highlights and updates took place throughout the year.
2025 Public Policy Agenda
To begin the year, the ERLC announced its policy priorities for 2025 by publishing the entity’s annual federal public policy agenda, released on Jan. 16.
The 2025 Public Policy Agenda was divided into the ERLC’s four main focus areas: Life, Religious Liberty, Marriage and Family, and Human Dignity.
The agenda features 42 policy items, framed in light of the transition from President Biden’s administration to President Trump’s administration, articulating that this transition provides great opportunity for significant policy change. The agenda cites the Baptist Faith and Message 2000and past SBC resolutions within each section of policy priorities, and guides the ERLC’s policy work throughout the year.
Supreme Court advocacy
Among the ERLC’s major policy priorities for the year were five U.S. Supreme Court cases which were decided this June. Each of the five rulings represented a victory for Southern Baptist policy priorities.
The cases involved a variety of Southern Baptist areas of concern including upholding religious liberty, protecting minors from pornography, defunding Planned Parenthood and protecting minors from harmful gender transition treatments.
In each of the cases, the ERLC was actively involved by joining amicus briefs, including two they authored themselves alongside Baptist state conventions in Tennessee and Texas. The ERLC also released explainer articles in anticipation of each case and in response to each ruling.
2025 cases engaged by the ERLC can be found online.
Across State Lines initiative
This year, the ERLC announced their new “Across State Lines” pro-life initiative, which focuses on providing ultrasound equipment and subsequent training to pregnancy resource centers in states where abortion is legal and readily accessible.
The emphasis works in tandem with the ERLC’s Psalm 139 Project, which funds these ultrasound placements and the necessary training. Across State Lines will focus on placing ultrasound machines in states where abortion is legal, often partnering with Baptist state conventions and other entities to make the placements.
Thus far, multiple ultrasound placements have been made through the Across State Lines initiative, including in Alaska and Vermont.
