NASHVILLE (BP) — The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission’s (ELRC) 2024 was highlighted by Supreme Court amicus briefs, ultrasound placements through the Psalm 139 Project and a variety of new resources, events and updates from the entity. 

ERLC President Brent Leatherwood looked back fondly on the entity’s work throughout the year. 

“As I reflect on this year, I am proud of the work our team has faithfully executed on behalf of Southern Baptists as they’ve answered the call to bring the hope of the gospel to our nation’s capital, before the courts and throughout our culture,” Leatherwood said. 

“From our partnerships with Baptist state conventions calling on Christians to stand for life with the many abortion measures that were on the ballot; to the joint letter we submitted with SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) President Clint Pressley to the White House and U.S. congressional leaders expressing Southern Baptists’ unwavering support for Israel; to the memo sent to President Trump’s transition team outlining policies we believe they should prioritize in the first 100 days in office; we have worked to advocate for policies rooted in Southern Baptist convictions in the areas of life, religious liberty, human dignity, and marriage and family.”

Leatherwood said everything the entity does, down to every resource, is designed to serve Southern Baptists.

“2024 also has been the year when we’ve really started unpacking my vision for thoughtful and well-researched resources designed specifically for our churches,” he said. “The numerous church assets our team developed –– including the practical guides about pressing issues facing our congregations –– ensured we were able to carry out our first responsibility to be alongside and equip our churches.  

“Overall, this body of work tells me we conclude another year having served and assisted our pastors, ministers and fellow Southern Baptists who are navigating these complex times. And that, through it all, this commission has remained a steady voice of conviction and hope in the public square.” 

Several notable ERLC highlights and updates made the year memorable. 

Psalm 139 Project updates 

More than two years after the Supreme Court’s historic overturn of Roe v. Wade, the ERLC continues its pro-life advocacy, not only in the public policy arena, but also by assisting individual pro-life centers through its Psalm 139 Project.

The project, which began in 2001, provides ultrasound equipment and necessary training to pregnancy resource centers.

Since the project’s inception, it has funded nearly 100 ultrasound placements including one internationally through a partnership with the International Mission Board (IMB).

In 2024, the ERLC placed six ultrasound machines in six different states. The entity partnered with several Baptist state conventions in order to place the machines. Machines were placed in New Mexico, Texas, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia.

Additionally, the project has helped train 66 nurses at 25 different pregnancy centers on how to use ultrasound equipment since the Dobbs decision more than two years ago. 

The ERLC said ways to support the Psalm 139 Project include:

• Getting involved with a local pregnancy center or supporting a mother and her baby personally.
• Learning about the needs that women who face unplanned pregnancies often have and empathize with them. 
• Committing to praying for your local pregnancy center and sharing the gospel with those in your community.
• Consider giving financially to the Psalm 139 Project to enable more ultrasound placements.

Supreme Court cases

The ERLC advocated for Southern Baptist values in a variety of ways in Supreme Court cases throughout the year. 

ERLC filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case, Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, which ruled on the availability of mifepristone, a drug commonly used in medication abortions.

The lower court’s ruling was reversed, restoring access to the drug. It was the first time the Supreme Court has weighed in on the issue of abortion since the historic overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022.

ERLC also commented on the Supreme Court case which examined an Idaho law, known as the “Defense of Life Act,” which banned nearly all abortions in the state. The High Court later sent the Idaho law back to the circuit court. 

ERLC filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case United States v. Skrmetti, which will decide the constitutionality of a Tennessee law banning gender transition procedures or so-called “gender affirming care” for minors. ERLC filed the brief on Oct. 15 in conjunction with the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. Leatherwood said the High Court’s ruling in the case will be “monumental.” A ruling on the case is expected next summer. 

ERLC also filed an amicus brief in the upcoming Supreme Court case Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, which will consider a Texas law requiring adult websites to verify the age of their users. The High Court will hear the case on Jan. 15..

Abortion ballot initiatives 

The ERLC partnered with several Baptist state conventions to provide resources for churches related to abortion ballot initiatives that were considered in the November election.

A ballot initiative is a mechanism by which citizens can directly propose laws and constitutional amendments for a local or state government. These initiatives are often voted on in November elections, such as the various pro-choice or pro-life measures that were included on this year’s state ballots.

Most of these initiatives on the November ballots sought to expand access to abortion, while one sought to add more protections for preborn life.

The ERLC served Southern Baptists by tracking the status of these initiatives in states across the country and providing resources for Baptists to be educated, pray and make a positive impact in their local communities, all of this with the help of several state conventions.

Letter supporting Israel 

ERLC President Brent Leatherwood and Southern Baptist Convention President Clint Pressley submitted a joint letter in October to both President Joe Biden and U.S. congressional leaders expressing Southern Baptists’ continued support for Israel. The letter came on the heels of escalation in the Middle East conflict and a few days before the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.

The letter continues the ERLC’s long-standing support of Israel, a long-held Southern Baptist value. 

ERLC podcast 

The ERLC’s relaunched podcast released several seasons covering topics such as gender and sexuality, pro-life issues and mental health.

The gender and sexuality series was highly requested by Southern Baptists across the country and covers a variety of topics related to life including abortion, adoption, foster care and the ministry of pregnancy resource centers.

The series that focuses on life issues discusses the changing landscape of pro-life ministry since the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The series also speaks on other important topics relevant to creating a “culture of life” throughout the nation.

The mental health series features episodes discussing why the topic of mental health matters, how it affects people’s spiritual health, how biblical counseling can positively impact people’s mental health and why it’s so important for pastors to care for their own mental health.

Additional updates, events and resources

The ERLC endorsed a trio of pro-life bills this January. These endorsements took place one day before the annual March for Life and three days before Sanctity of Life Sunday on the SBC calendar.

The ERLC released its 2024 public policy agenda at the beginning of the year. This document outlined the entity’s policy priorities with their four focus areas of life, religious liberty, marriage and family, and human dignity.

Earlier this year, the ERLC joined several pro-life organizations and advocates in calling on Congress to pass an expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) because they believed it would benefit low-income families and children.

The ERLC released a political engagement guide titled “The Nations Belong to God: A Christian Guide for Political Engagement” in February. The resource was meant to coincide with this year’s presidential election and was written by Andrew Walker, assistant professor of ethics and apologetics at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and fellow at the ERLC Research Institute. 

The ERLC also released its first ever state public policy agenda in early February. 

Later in February, the entity released a practical resource to help churches navigate difficult questions and scenarios surrounding the topic of gender confusion.

ERLC hosted an online event on April 22 that focused on how Christians can approach political engagement, even beyond this year’s presidential election. The event featured a conversation between ERLC President Brent Leatherwood and Daniel Darling, director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. 

Vice President Mike Pence expressed his gratitude for the work of the ERLC during a special lunch event hosted by the entity at the 2024 SBC annual meeting.

ERLC named several research fellows throughout the year who will help serve as subject matter experts for the entity. 

Lastly, the ERLC sent a letter to the Trump transition team this November which advocated for changes to pro-life and religious liberty measures taken under the Biden administration.

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Timothy Cockes is a writer in Nashville.)