'Good riddance': Top Baptist leader forced out by MAGA for not being 'aligned with Trump' [View all]

Source: Raw Story

August 1, 2025 8:59PM ET


On Thursday, July 31, Brent Leatherwood officially resigned from his position as president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC).

Leatherwood, in a press release, announced, "After nearly four years leading this institution, it is time to close this chapter of my life. It has been an honor to guide this Baptist organization in a way that has honored the Lord, served the churches of our Convention, and made this fallen world a little better."

Religion News Service's (RNS) Bob Smietana, reporting on Leatherwood's resignation, stresses that Leatherwood's last year at ERLC was "tumultuous" — and that he was often criticized by supporters of President Donald Trump who resented the fact that he wasn't overtly MAGA.

"Leatherwood, who took office in 2022 after serving as interim leader for a year, is the third ERLC president in a row to step down under fire," Smietana explains. "Like his predecessor Russell Moore, who stepped down in 2021, Leatherwood was criticized for not being in line with President Donald Trump's MAGA agenda. Critics also say the agency has been out of touch with local churches and has become too liberal on issues such as immigration. Those critics had called for Leatherwood's resignation.

Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/maga-baptist/