The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission team is guided by a desire to support pastors, stand for truth and serve churches, said Gary Hollingsworth, ERLC outgoing interim director, in his report to messengers at the 2026 SBC Annual Meeting.
Evan Lenow, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, speaks during the entity report at the 2026 SBC annual meeting in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Van Payne/The Baptist Paper)
Hollingsworth said the ERLC has supported recent efforts to allow ministers who opted out of Social Security to voluntarily opt back in, which he said would be a “huge win, potentially” for pastors in retirement.
He said the Psalm 139 Project placed its 100th sonogram machine in a pregnancy ministry center in North Carolina, with the 101st in place too. He added the ERLC continues to advocate for legislation supporting life, religious freedom, technology and protections for children, with several resources available online that address a variety of topics related to those and other contemporary issues.
Will Spivey, messenger and next gen pastor at FBC Opelika in Alabama, asks a question during the ERLC report at the 2026 SBC annual meeting in Orlando, Florida. (Screenshot)
Hollingsworth also introduced Evan Lenow, who became ERLC president on June 1.
Question from mic: Will Spivey, messenger and next gen pastor at FBC Opelika.
Will Spivey, messenger and next gen pastor at FBC Opelika, asked Lenow how the ERLC will respond to calls for financial transparency among SBC entities. Lenow said the ERLC’s financial records are available on the ministry’s website, adding that ERLC trustees are aware of his salary and the entity is “committed to full financial transparency.”