NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 16, 2011—Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, issued this statement in response to the erroneous claim found in the July 16 edition of the _Wall Street Journal_. The article, “Evangelicals Urge Perry to Enter Race,” stated Land has encouraged Texas Gov. Rick Perry to run for president and promises future “support.”
“My position has always been if people feel they are led to run for President, then they ought to run,” Land said, reacting to the story. “Whether Gov. Perry runs or not is up to him and what his heart tells him to do. I’ve only had one conversation with Gov. Perry, and it did not include encouraging him to run.”
Regarding a future endorsement or future support, Land said, “I made it categorically clear to Mr. [Neil] King that I do not endorse candidates, and I have not and will not endorse Gov. Perry or any other candidate for that matter.”
