Alex Ward Alex Ward serves as the Executive Assistant in the Office of the President at the ERLC. In his role, he assists with all logistical and operational needs for the Office of the President. He also assists with the oversight of the Research Institute under the leadership of the Director of Research and Senior Fellow in Christian Ethics. He is currently pursuing a Master of Theology in church history from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He holds a Master of Theological Studies from Vanderbilt Divinity School and a Bachelor of Arts in English and Philosophy from Mississippi State University. History ArticleLearn more about America’s founding from these resourcesby Alex WardOn July 3, 1776, John Adams wrote to his wife to say that he thought July 2 would go down as the most “memorable epoch in the history of America.” This was the day that the Second Continental Congress had voted to accept a resolution declaring their independence from Great Britain. A committee was then Continue… Continue... Religious Liberty ArticleWhat a Virginia cemetery case reveals about religious libertyby Alex WardThe Christian faith has always recognized the importance of the ritual of burial. From a story that begins in a borrowed tomb for a man too poor to buy his own, includes the cemeteries which dot the landscape of churchyards, and culminates in the promise that one day those graveyards will be the place where Continue… Continue... ERLC Mission and Vision ArticleExplainer: A history of the ERLCby Alex WardMay 8, 2020 marks one of the anniversaries of the founding of what would become the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (more on those others below). The ERLC is the Southern Baptist entity tasked with speaking for Southern Baptists in the public square and speaking to Southern Baptists on matters of moral importance. Below are Continue… Continue... Family Article5 mothers who helped shape Christian historyby Alex WardThere is no overstating the importance of mothers in the growth of Christianity. From the devotion of Mary to the faithful example of Lois and Eunice (the mother and grandmother of Timothy), the pages of Scripture are filled with the stories of how mothers have influenced their children to follow the will of God. Church Continue… Continue... Int'l Religious Freedom ArticleIs India’s new citizenship law friendly toward religious liberty?by Alex WardIndia’s capital of New Delhi and regions throughout the country were rocked in recent months by religious violence and rioting. The rioting left over 40 people dead with property damage and devastation common throughout the rest of the country. The cause of this violence in the world’s largest democracy was the new law entitled the Continue… Continue... Culture ArticleWhat Holy Week reminds us of in the midst of a pandemicby Alex WardI wouldn’t have realized the next morning was Sunday if my wife and I hadn’t talked about it the night before. I didn’t even realize that it was Palm Sunday until I looked at Twitter after I woke up. And now, in the midst of Holy Week, I am struggling to remember if it is Continue… Continue... Christian Living Book ReviewA look at the history of the evangelical movementby Alex WardIn 2016, as in every presidential election year, there was no shortage of writing and descriptions of evangelicalism—from exit polls about the infamous 81% of white evangelicals who voted for then candidate Donald Trump, to those who were choosing to no longer use the term evangelical. As Russell Moore, leader of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Continue… Continue... Christian Living Article4 lessons we learned from Cornel West and Robert Georgeby Alex Ward, Josh WesterRecently, the two of us had the privilege to attend an event hosted by the Trinity Forum featuring a fascinating conversation between Cornel West and Robert George. The theme of the evening was “Deep Friendship Across Deep Differences.” If you know anything about these two men, you know that they are about as different as Continue… Continue... Faith Book ReviewWe are not invincibleby Alex Ward“But I have a son,” Kate Bowler responded when she was told that she had Stage IV cancer. This devastating news came at a point in Bowler’s life when she had it all—a Ph.D. from Duke University, her dream job, her high school sweetheart as her husband, and her first son after a period of Continue… Continue... Pop Culture Book ReviewHow Christians bring their own story to pop cultureby Alex WardRecently, an HBO series with a large cultural following came to an end. Barely a month prior, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s film saga reached a conclusion with the highly anticipated “Avengers: Endgame.” Both the television series and film produced a number of responses from Christians. From those who objected to watching the HBO series because of Continue… Continue...