Evan Lenow has been unanimously selected as the new president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention.
The decision was made during a specially convened meeting held Monday in Nashville, where the ERLC board of trustees voted to install the leader to head the organization.
Board chairman Scott Foshie praised the appointment, stating, “Dr. Lenow is a proven, trusted servant to Southern Baptists, and he has a demonstrated love for helping churches live out the Great Commission fully in their contexts.”
He added, “His biblically rooted ethics resources are trusted by our seminaries, and many local churches have benefitted from his faithful preaching and helpful consultations. We are overjoyed that he has answered God’s call to use his keen intellect and shepherd’s heart to lead the ERLC.”
Lenow responded to the announcement by expressing gratitude, saying he is “humbled" that the trustees chose him to serve as president.
Reflecting on his journey, he said, “The Lord has worked through my academic and professional life to prepare me for the work entrusted to this very important entity by Southern Baptists.”
He also shared his outlook for the commission’s future, stating, “I believe the best days are ahead for the ERLC as our team comes alongside SBC churches and leaders to equip them to address the essential ethical and moral questions of our day with confidence and biblical fidelity.”
Lenow currently serves as director of the Institute for Christian Leadership at Mississippi College and leads its Christian Studies Department. He is also the director of the Clinton Extension of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, which operates on the Mississippi College campus.
His appointment comes after a period of leadership transition within the ERLC. In July 2025, former president Brent Leatherwood stepped down, after which Vice President and Chief of Staff Miles Mullin was named acting president. Later, in September, trustees selected Gary Hollingsworth as interim president.
