NASHVILLE, Tenn., Jan. 14, 2016The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention announced members of its 2016 “Leadership Council”:https://erlc.com/network/council today.
This years Leadership Council is comprised of 43 Southern Baptist pastors and leaders across the U.S. This annual group of leaders receives targeted investment from the ERLC to equip them to help their churches apply the gospel to everyday life.
The ERLC Leadership Council launched in 2014 and has included a wide-ranging group of SBC leaders from diverse backgrounds and ministry settings.
ERLC President Russell Moore, commented on the announcement of the 2016 Leadership Council.
I am thrilled to welcome this group of gospel-focused, innovative band of pastors and leaders to this years ERLC Leadership Council, Moore said. As we come alongside one another, well talk about crucial ethical issues confronting churches and how we can engage with a gospel-focus in the culture and in the public square. Well think through issues that arent yet confronting churches, but will, and how we can best go through the difficulties of life and local church ministry with a joyful warrior kingdom expectancymarching toward Zion on the triumphant side of history.
Members of the 2016 Leadership Council include: Matt Chandler, lead pastor of teaching at The Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas; Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas; Bryant Wright, pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Georgia; Robert J. Anderson, Jr., pastor of Colonial Baptist Church in Randallstown, Maryland; David Fleming, pastor of Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston, Texas; Darrin Patrick, pastor of The Journey Church in St. Louis, Missouri; Gregg Matte, pastor of Houstons First Baptist Church in Houston, Texas; Bruce Frank, lead pastor of Biltmore Baptist Church in Arden, North Carolina; and Afshin Ziafat, lead pastor of Providence Church in Frisco, Texas.
I love what the ERLC is doing to defend and promote Christian values in the public sphere, Ziafat said. I love how the council keeps me informed on the shifting culture that we are ministering in.
Members of the Council will serve an annual term and will be equipped by the ERLC throughout the year through conference calls and events, while providing input to the ERLC and occasional content for erlc.com. All Council members either currently are serving or have previously served in pastoral ministry.
To learn more about the ERLC Leadership Council visit erlc.com/network/council.
The Southern Baptist Convention is Americas largest Protestant denomination with more than 15.8 million members in over 46,000 churches nationwide. The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission is the SBCs ethics, religious liberty and public policy agency with offices in Nashville, Tenn. and Washington, D.C.
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