Dr. Nathan Lorick on Equipping SBC Churches in Texas 

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 with issues like protecting the sanctity of life, gender and sexuality, and more. Just last year, the SBTC was involved in the Supreme Court case Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Paxton, which contested a Texas state law that required age verification to protect children from sexually explicit content. By God’s grace, the Texas law was upheld in a six three ruling communicating that states have authority in such decisions.

On today’s episode, Dr. Gary Hollingsworth, ERLC interim President, chats with Nathan Lorick about the opportunities and challenges they’re facing in equipping Texas pastors to minister well in their communities.

Episode Transcript: Dr. Nathan Lorick on Equipping SBC Churches in Texas 

Narration:

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 to Dr. Nathan Lorick, executive director for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.

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 with issues like protecting the sanctity of life, gender and sexuality, and more. Just last year, the SBTC was involved in the Supreme Court case Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Paxton, which contested a Texas state law that required age verification to protect children from sexually explicit content. By God’s grace, the Texas law was upheld in a six three ruling communicating that states have authority in such decisions.

On today’s episode, Dr. Gary Hollingsworth, ERLC interim President, chats with Nathan Lorick about the opportunities and challenges they’re facing in equipping Texas pastors to minister well in their communities. Nathan has served the Southern Baptist Convention on the nominating committee as well as a trustee for the International Mission Board. He’s a graduate of East Texas Baptist University and Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, where he earned both a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degree. He also holds an honorary doctor of divinity from Louisiana Baptist University. He and his wife, Jenna, live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with their four children. 

Now, let’s turn to Dr. Hollingsworth’s conversation with Dr. Nathan Lorick.

Dr. Gary Hollingsworth:

I am here today with my dear friend Nathan Lorick at the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention out here in Dallas, Texas. Nathan, man, thanks for letting me be here. First time I’ve ever been in your building, and it’s a joy to be here on your home turf. Thanks for taking time to do this today. 

Nathan Lorick:

We’re grateful to have you here, and welcome to Texas. I hope you’ve had the chance to eat good barbecue while you’re here. 

Dr. Gary Hollingsworth:

Well, I can’t come to Texas without a little barbecue. But there’s still time for more. So anyway, take just a moment, as we’ve been doing some podcasts around the country, we really just want to first and foremost find out and what God’s doing in Texas and what are you excited about and encouraged about in terms of what the Lord is doing right here amongst Texas Baptists? 

Nathan Lorick:

Yeah, man, you know, I don’t know where to start. We have 2,880 churches that are part of the network of SBTC, and God is moving tremendously. Our church planting, Gary, to give you an example, in 2021, as a network of churches, we planted 14 churches. The next year was in the high thirties. The next year was high fifties. The next year was sixties, and this last year, we planted 68 churches, and this year we anticipate over 70. So God’s just been moving tremendously in church planting as well as church revitalization, a thing we call Regenesis, a new beginning, where we’re taking churches through really deep dive strategy conversations, helping them reimagine a new vision and a new way forward. And then our mission’s mobilization is unbelievable. We have partnerships in Nevada, Puerto Rico, creating one for the Northeast right now.

But we just launched a huge partnership across Europe with the IMB. In fact, as we do this podcast today, we have pastors on the ground right now on a vision trip to help the IMB in Europe take the gospel to the nations. So, God’s blessing, God’s moving, and you know, Texas is lost, man. They estimate 19 million lost people right here in Texas. And so we are just trying to stay focused on the mission that God has given us and help to come alongside churches. Our desire and our passion, really our mission focus, is that we mobilize churches to multiply disciple making movements in Texas and around the world. And so for us, we’re doing everything we can to help mobilize churches to see these disciple making movements happen in their churches and their communities across our state, the nation, and the world. So it’s exciting.

Dr. Gary Hollingsworth:

As a graduate of Southwestern Seminary, I left a lot of my heart here some years ago and love to come back when I can, but I believe it’s always been a pacesetter in all those areas that you’ve mentioned. And I really appreciate not only that as a pacesetter, but just a partner. You’ve talked about partnership, and of course at the ERLC, that’s one of the things that even during this interim time, by the way, you well know that, uh, this will very likely be my last podcast. Our, our new president, Dr. Lenow, will soon be at the helm in just a few weeks, and he’ll be getting out here to Texas as well. 

But when we think about partnership, there are four specific areas, priority work with the ERLC. That’s religious liberty, obviously pro-life issues, marriage and family issues, and also just dignity of life. 

But Nathan, one of the questions I would just have because you know your pastors best here in Texas. When you think about those four areas—life, liberty, family, and dignity of life—are there any particular things that you’re aware of as far as pastor’s concerns or ways that the ERLC could come alongside to help in these particular areas, specifically, as you mentioned, being very church focused on how we can better serve churches in those four areas?

Nathan Lorick:

Yeah, well, let me start off by saying, man, you’ve done a phenomenal job in the interim of leading and brought incredible stability to an organization that’s important. It’s important not only in the eyes of God, but in the eyes of Southern Baptists that you help churches to deal with these very hot topic issues and cultural moments, but also be a voice for us advocating in our nation’s capitol for the biblical values that we stand on on all of these things. 

But I would say to you, Gary, it’s like any other state. I mean, we have pastors and we’re always going to be concerned about the sanctity of life and making sure that we can help assist churches really in the fight for life. And, we partnered with the ERLC just a few years ago to provide some funds for the Psalm 139 Project and put placing those ultrasound machines in clinics so that we can have conversations with these mothers to say, “Hey, this is a life, and it’s a life that is precious in the eyes of God.”

So sanctity of life is certainly always going to be an issue, especially in a cultural moment that we’re in. And then, when it comes to marriage and family, I mean, obviously, you look around our nation, and it’s constant confusion over gender identity or same-sex marriage. And our pastors, they’ve had to understand how to make sure all the safeguards are put in place to not have to, per se, do same sex weddings and those kind of things. And then, what do you do today when your students go to a camp and at camp, one of the teenagers says, “I’m a different gender now.” And so, there’s opportunities that we have to come alongside of them. In particular, alongside of the ERLC, we have a Texas Ethics and Religious Committee and a public policy advisor that really help produce materials and opportunities for churches to learn, what do you do in these situations?

Because we’re in a significant cultural moment when it comes to life and religious liberty and marriage and family, and it’s imperative that the Church stands on the truth of God’s Word, unashamedly, with no compromise. However, it’s also imperative that the churches have the tools on how to handle these conversations, how to handle in their constitution and bylaws and what that looks like. We’ve come alongside of churches to say, “Hey, we want to make sure you have the tools, the training, the help, so that when those moments do come, that you can stand with confidence that you’re standing on the Word of God, number one, but number two, that you have the things in place to make sure you can stand and stand throughout that conflict or battle that the Church is facing, because culture is going to constantly push against what’s true and what’s right.”

It’s going to constantly push against the Church. And the beautiful thing is, we know what God’s Word says, that the gates of hell can’t prevail against the Church. And so for us, I think we really are trying to stay on top of things, on how to assist churches, equip churches, give churches tools. I mean, I’m grateful for the ERLC in how you come alongside of state conventions to help produce those kind of equipping tools for churches. And I think as culture continues the way that it is, it’s going to be even more imperative in the future that the Church’s voice is loud and the Church’s voice is firm on the truth of God’s Word on all of these issues.

Dr. Gary Hollingsworth:

Right. Well, and I’m so glad to know that the ERLC can come alongside the convention, but also, ultimately, our target is the Church. And for those who maybe don’t know or aren’t aware, we already have some church guides, we call them just church resource guides that are available free of charge. We have the digital versions on our website at the ERLC. There are printed copies for those who would prefer it that way, even to get some, perhaps, to hand out to church members, for example. And so I say that to say that one of the things about our guides, we’re making a commitment for the future to produce more of those, to make sure that they are as relevant as possible. And I’ll give just one example. Our most recent guide was on artificial intelligence. I mean, that’s something that, I can’t think of anything more relevant that’s not so much on the surface a moral issue, but everyone’s asking the question, what’s the rightful use of artificial intelligence.

So I say that to just simply say for you and for your churches, obviously, we want to make sure that we’re producing practical guides to help those churches. You mentioned something about policy in D.C., and it is true that at the ERLC, one of the primary functions that they have is to be aware of federal policies and federal legislation, and we do interface with those. But I’d like for you to talk for just a moment. There was a big case here in Texas, the Paxton case, and, you guys were hugely instrumental in that. As a matter of fact, it’s really become a bit of a model at the federal level, some legislation pending there. 

Would you take just a moment—we can’t get into the weeds of all of that—but talk a little bit about that and your engagement involvement from here in Texas and even how that’s moving to the federal level?

Nathan Lorick:

Yeah. Well, you know, it’s a great win for our state. The case you’re referring to talked about age verification for pornography. In other words, you had to verify that you were 18 or above. So it’s significant to be able to put those safeguards so that our teenagers do not have the access to pornography that has been freely given to them. And so it was a phenomenal win for Texas. And as you said, I think there’s some modeling after this case, but the SBTC, through our public policy advisor and our committee, we were encouraging churches to contact legislators to tell them how significant this is. Especially, you have kids at home, you have teenagers at home. This is a significant issue that the legislators need know is just not okay that teenagers have that kind of access to pornography or any access to pornography, in fact.

And so, we were really promoting, contact those legislators, let them know, put the pressure on them to say, “Hey, this has got to stop, and this is a way to do this.” And again, through our public policy advisor and our committee, they pushed hard to execute these plans. And by God’s grace it passed. And I’m hoping and praying that it becomes a national movement. 

Look, these kids have to be a priority for us to make sure that we are giving safeguards in their life to not allow them to have things to pour into their mind and their heart that are going to be not only detrimental to them in this moment for a lifetime. You know, if we really value life and we value people that God has created, then we need to make sure we are placing a priority on making it as safe as possible for our kids in a day and age where, again, culture would like to have them obsessed with everything that’s not of God, and have no attention placed on things that are of God. And so I’m very proud of our team, very proud of our churches for stepping up and speaking up and just, as I said, grateful to God that it passed here and prayerful that it becomes a national movement.

Dr. Gary Hollingsworth:

Amen. Well, I just want to say thank you and thank your leadership for what you’ve done here. And I join with you, we join with you in praying that it will become also at the federal level. And as a matter of fact, one final thing I would just ask before I have a last question I want to ask of you. And it is simply this, when you think about really even the future, not only what God’s doing here in Texas, and thanks for sharing those exciting things, but specifically, particularly with new leadership, with Dr. Evan Lenow coming in as our new president, who will take office on June 1. 

But talk with me and talk with us for just a brief moment about how you would forecast the ERLC being able to continue to serve you and your convention and your churches in your convention. I know you’ve mentioned some of those things, but any particular needs that you see out there on the horizon where, again, we can be a good partner together with you?

Nathan Lorick:

Yeah. Well, I think number one, I think it’s imperative for our entities to have a good relationship with state conventions. And likewise, state conventions have a good relationship with our entities. We’re partners in the gospel. We’re partners in the mission that Southern Baptists have called us to collectively together. And so I’m excited to meet our new president and pray that God gives him favor, not only in his ministry, but with the people. And I think great days can be ahead. I believe that the ERLC’s mission is imperative for the kingdom and important to the mission of Southern Baptists. 

And so I think one of the greatest ways is to work with the states on creating those kinds of guides and materials and staying in communication with states about things that ERLC may hear that’s coming up that maybe we haven’t heard yet that could be on the state level or going down to the state level, and vice versa, that we are able to say to the ERLC, “Hey, here’s something that might or might not be on your radar, but it’s going to be big, and it’s going to be significant that we work together to create those tools and opportunities for our churches to engage in whatever that case may be.” 

And then third, I would say, creating materials that just help churches know how to equip their people, for their people to be prepared in the everyday marketplace to have conversations about hot topic issues infused with the gospel and infused with grace. But I feel like if our Southern Baptist people could be informed about these issues, but informed and ready to engage with grace and towards the gospel, then what kind of conversations could that be around the coffee shop or the break room?

How could the gospel really advance if our people really equipped and really shown how to engage in these issues, but to do it with grace and with the gospel? And so that would be my encouragement to our new president, to sit down with the states. Let’s try to figure out how do we create these opportunities? How do we create alongside of the structures that are already in place in states? And all states have different structures. For us, it’s a committee, public policy advisor, but how can we work together? Because at the end of the day, if we can help equip our churches to equip their people for everyday conversations towards the gospel, man, we’re moving in the right direction.

Dr. Gary Hollingsworth:

You know, it really does come down to every person in the pew. It does, ultimately, and pastors have a role, and state leaders and national leaders. But that’s a perfect description of really how it ought to work. And by the way, one I would add just in these few months, standing in as the interim, having been in some legislators offices in D.C., is they do listen. And it struck me one day I was leaving a legislator’s office, and I suddenly realized, you know, as I was leaving the office, somebody else was coming in. And when I got there, there was somebody, and it was just the changing of the guard. And it struck me, Nathan, that if I were not in that office, if there was someone not representing the voice of Southern Baptists in certain, very important things to us, if we’re not in there, somebody is, somebody will be in there, somebody will be in that chair, and they do listen, but it takes engagement, and that was the word you used, and I love that. 

So thank you for being engaged and encouraging your people. The final question is a real simple question, and it’s simply this, how can I pray for you? Anything in particular on the horizon for you and your leadership here? Anything in particular that I can just pray for you and the work of the SBTC?

Nathan Lorick:

Well, thank you. Thank you for being my friend, first of all, and grateful that God allowed our paths across, even before you were an interim here, as a fellow colleague, as a state executive. So, as I said earlier, our vision, our mission, is that we mobilize churches to multiply disciple making movements in Texas and around the world. Our vision is that we’ll see every single SBTC church engaged in that mobilization process so that we can see these disciple making movements not only happen in these communities, but literally spread across our state and country. So, pray that God continues to give us clarity in that vision. Pray that God continues to give us favor with our churches. They have responded tremendously. And pray God gives us the endurance and the resources to just keep moving forward. We dream of a day where every church that’s connected with us in some tangible way can be on that mission with us as we see God just begin to multiply these movements in Texas and around the world.

So, pray for that clarity, pray for those resources, pray for favor, and pray for endurance in that. And we believe God is going to do something phenomenal. As I said, Texas is such a phenomenal state, incredible state, but the needs can be overwhelming. But by God’s grace, he’s given us a network of 2,880 churches that can, in a synergistic approach, underneath a focused mission, we can see these kind of movements of God all over our state and really all over our country and the world, and that’s our prayer. 

Narration:

At the ERLC, we delight to come alongside state conventions and their churches as we seek to face significant cultural moments with biblical faithfulness. We’re grateful for all the Texas Baptists who are stepping up to reach people in their communities and beyond, while standing on the truth of God’s Word without compromise. As you face ethical and moral questions, know that the ERLC is here to help you answer those questions with clarity and confidence. 

Thank you for listening to this episode of The ERLC Podcast. Join us next time as we hear more about the work of the ERLC in serving churches.