Southern Baptists voted this week to preserve a key but controversial branch of their denomination after heated debate at their Annual Meeting in Dallas, Texas.

According to the Christian Post, the Southern Baptist Convention on June 11 rejected a proposal to dissolve its Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, with nearly 57% of voting members opting to keep the entity in place.

The discussion centered around a motion presented by Pastor Willy Rice of Calvary Baptist Church in Clearwater, Florida. He introduced his proposal on June 10, expressing deep concern about the ERLC’s direction and alleged outside influences.

The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, known as the ERLC, has long served as the Southern Baptist Convention’s public policy arm. Founded in 1908, the entity has played a significant role in promoting the denomination’s ethical and religious positions in the public sphere.

Rice, who said he had previously supported the commission, argued that recent actions and affiliations made continued trust in the ERLC impossible. “Facts are stubborn things,” he said, “and the trust is broken.”

Rice criticizes ERLC funding and direction.

One of Rice’s primary accusations was that the ERLC had accepted backing from progressive political groups, damaging its credibility within conservative circles. He stated there had been “no public repentance” or strong disavowal of these alliances.

He also pointed to former ERLC President Russell Moore’s frequent critiques of former President Donald Trump as a source of division. Additionally, Rice expressed alarm over past ERLC positions that opposed legislation aimed at criminalizing abortion for women who seek it.

While introducing his motion, Rice made it clear he did not seek to permanently silence the ERLC but hoped to rebuild it as a more impartial and denominationally aligned voice. “I don’t want to erase it, but to restore it,” he said.

Vote counters opposition from ERLC supporters.s

The motion to abolish was ultimately defeated during a vote on June 11. With 6,581 messengers casting ballots, 3,744 opposed elimination, amounting to 56.89%. A total of 2,819, or 42.84%, supported the motion, while 18 ballots were disqualified.

This marks the fourth consecutive year in which efforts to eliminate or withdraw financial support from the ERLC have been unsuccessful. Under SBC rules, a motion to eliminate an entity requires a majority vote at two consecutive annual meetings—something this year’s result did not achieve.

ERLC defenders spoke during deliberations in defense of the organization's continued role within the Southern Baptist Convention. Steve Willis, senior pastor of One Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, said no SBC entity has done more to uphold children’s right to life.

Voices call for reform without dismantling

Not all who voted in favor of the motion wished to see the ERLC disappear completely. Pastor Erik Reed voiced his hope that the vote would spur serious reform. “They need more than furniture rearranged,” he said. “They need walls ripped out and an entire remodel.”

Opponents of the motion called instead for greater dialogue on the commission’s role and direction. Richard D. Land, who led the ERLC from 1988 to 2013, urged cooperation rather than dissolution in a collaborative piece in The Christian Post.

Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said earlier this year that he had serious concerns about the ERLC’s effectiveness. However, he stated it would not be appropriate for him to promote any effort to dismantle the commission.

ERLC faces a future under scrutiny

The vote leaves the ERLC intact but under continued scrutiny. Even among its supporters, there is acknowledgement that the organization must re-examine its direction and rebuild trust within the denomination.

While this year’s vote was decisive, the commission’s future influence remains uncertain. The debate has highlighted division among the nearly 13 million-member SBC over how to engage public policy issues and how closely the denomination should align with broader political movements.

As the denomination moves forward, leaders on both sides of the issue have called for mutual understanding, transparency, and renewed focus on the mission at the heart of the SBC’s public witness. Whether this vote will be the end or the beginning of broader reform remains to be seen.