WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 1, 2017—Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, assembled a broad coalition of evangelical leaders to support the appointment of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Commenting on both the appointment of Gorsuch and the statement itself, Moore said:
“Few presidential decisions are as consequential and lasting as Supreme Court appointments, and Neil Gorsuch is an outstanding choice. He is a brilliant and articulate defender of constitutional originalism in the mold of Antonin Scalia, whose seat on the bench he will occupy.
“I’m overjoyed to be joined on this statement by convictional leaders from across the evangelical spectrum who support President Trump’s nomination and who believe that Judge Gorsuch represents exactly the kind of judge our country needs on the Supreme Court. We stand together in support of his appointment and pray for a quick confirmation process.
Those joining the letter signed in support of core social principles Gorsuch represents. A number of the notable signatories include:
- Russell Moore, President, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
- George Wood, General Superintendent, Assemblies of God
- Jack Graham, Senior Pastor, Prestonwood Baptist Church
- Steve Gaines, President, Southern Baptist Convention
- Samuel Rodriguez, President, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference
- Greg Laurie, Pastor, Harvest Bible Fellowship
- John Stonestreet, President, The Colson Center for Christian Worldview
- Roland Warren, President & CEO, Care Net
- Jo Anne Lyon, Ambassador, General Superintendent Emerita, The Wesleyan Church
- R. Albert Mohler, Jr., President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
- J. D. Greear, Pastor, Summit Church
- Erick Erickson, Editor, The Resurgent
The statement reads:
“As evangelical leaders, there are core social principles at the center of our view of human flourishing. Among the most relevant to the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction are the protection of the unborn, the strengthening of religious liberty, and a dedication to human flourishing — which we believe can only be accomplished by a biblical definition of marriage and family.
“Given these priorities and the call to seek our nation’s welfare, we believe that the judicial philosophy of Neil Gorsuch meets these vital thresholds. One of the highest priorities in the United States is the appointment of a Supreme Court justice who upholds the Constitution’s first freedoms. By all indication, Judge Gorsuch interprets the Constitution in accordance with America’s tradition of limited government.
The full statement and list of signatories can be found here.
