In 1778, David Barrow, a 25-year-old Baptist pastor, was invited to a residence on the Nansemond River in Virginia to preach to a gathered crowd of excited worshipers. Upon arriving at a makeshift stage erected under a grove of trees for the occasion, Barrow and his friend were seized by a gang of 20 men, …
Continue...The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission knew coming into 2021 that the completely misnamed Equality Act would be a priority for some segments of the culture, and as the year comes to a close, the bill remains a top legislative priority for our organization. This legislation represents one of the most significant threats to religious …
Continue...The ERLC engages our culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ in the public square to protect religious liberty and promote human flourishing. One of the ways we do this is by advocating for religious liberty and monitoring its progress, both in the U.S. and around the world. Throughout 2021, the ERLC wrote about the …
Continue...Today, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Carson v. Makin, a key religious liberty case before the court this term. Here’s what you need to know about this case: What is the case about? This case arises out of the unique way that Maine provides free education to its 180,000 students. Every …
Continue...Today, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments for a case titled Ramirez v. Collier. This is an important case for the religious liberty of death-row inmates and their ability to receive spiritual counsel in their last moments on earth. What is this case about? On Sept. 8, just hours before John …
Continue...Since 2016, Lorie Smith, founder of the web design firm 303 Creative, has been in the process of challenging a Colorado law which violates her First Amendment rights. It is the same law that was used to target Jack Phillips and which led to the landmark Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission case. Like …
Continue...Nashville, Tenn., Oct. 21, 2021—The Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission Acting President Brent Leatherwood will present an ERLC Religious Liberty Award to Griffin Gulledge, pastor of Madison Baptist Church in Madison, Ga., during a special ceremony on Oct. 24. Gulledge was nominated for his significant work in drafting the SBC resolution entitled, “Resolution …
Continue...On May 6, 1867, George Washington Truett entered the world in a rural farmhouse in Clay County, North Carolina, as the seventh child of Charles and Mary Truett. The family resided on a 250-acre farm just two miles west of the mountain village of Hayesville. The Truetts farmed half the land for crops, and the …
Continue...Though Baptists love to claim him, Roger Williams was a Baptist for about 12 minutes. Hyperbole aside, the founder of Rhode Island and the ardent advocate for religious freedom did in fact live out his days as a “seeker” — he did not believe any church, this side of Christ’s return, was pure. He rejected, …
Continue...This week, a federal court in Texas ruled that it is unlawful to force healthcare professionals to violate their consciences for gender transition procedures. This is good news for children, families, and Christians who want to continue serving in roles without conforming to “the latest fashionable ‘right side of history’ cause.” What is the history …
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