Center for Baptist Leadership

In Today's episode of the CBL Podcast, William Wolfe sits down with Rhett Burns, Pastor of First Baptist Church in Travelers Rest, South Carolina, to discuss Rhett's financial transparency amendment before the Southern Baptist Convention. The amendment would require SBC entities to disclose information similar to an IRS Form 990. Rhett and William unpack objections to the amendment and emphasize the importance of rebuilding trust through transparency. #CenterForBaptistLeadership #RhettBurns #Stewardship #Finance #Money #Transparency #SBC #SouthernBaptistConvention #SBC2024 #Christianity #Faith Rhett began serving FBC Travelers Rest as senior pastor in July 2022. Prior to joining FBCTR, Rhett served as an associate pastor at a nearby church, and before that he and his family lived in Turkey, where he worked as a football coach, teacher, and freelance writer. A native of Greenville, Rhett previously worked as a high school football and basketball coach at Blue Ridge and Wade Hampton High Schools and as Director of Sports Information and NCAA Compliance at North Greenville University. He is a two-time graduate of North Greenville and holds a Master of Divinity degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Rhett and Shannon were married in December 2007. They have four children. Rhett is the author of two books: Run Like a Stallion: How American Football Explains Turkey and The New People Next Door: Learning to Love Your Cross-Cultural Neighbors. Learn more about Pastor Rhett Burns' work: https://www.trfirst.org/rhett-burns –––––– Follow Center for Baptist Leadership across Social Media: X / Twitter – https://twitter.com/BaptistLeaders Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/people/Center-For-Baptist-Leadership/61556762144277/ Rumble – https://rumble.com/c/c-6157089 YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@CenterforBaptistLeadership Website – https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/ To book William for media appearances or speaking engagements, please contact him at media@centerfor­baptistleadership.org. Follow Us on Twitter: William Wolfe - https://twitter.com/William_E_Wolfe Richard Henry - https://twitter.com/RThenry83 Renew the SBC from within and defend the SBC from those who seek its destruction, donate today: https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/donate/ The Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast is powered by American Reformer, recorded remotely in the United States by William Wolfe, and edited by Jared Cummings. Subscribe to the Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast: Distribute our RSS Feed – https://centerforbaptistleadership.podbean.com/ Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/center-for-baptist-leadership/id1743074575 Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/0npXohTYKWYmWLsHkalF9t Amazon Music // Audible – https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ababbdd-6c6b-4ab9-b21a-eed951e1e67b BoomPlay – https://www.boomplaymusic.com/podcasts/96624 TuneIn – Coming Soon iHeartRadio – https://iheart.com/podcast/170321203 Listen Notes – https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/center-for-baptist-leadership-center-for-3liUZaE_Tnq/ Pandora – Coming Soon PlayerFM – https://player.fm/series/3570081 Podchaser – https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/the-center-for-baptist-leaders-5696654

In Today's exclusive part-one episode of the CBL Podcast, William Wolfe sits down with Jon Whitehead, a lifelong Southern Baptist, Attorney, and Trustee of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), to discuss the never-before-told story of Russell Moore's departure from the SBC. William and Jon explore Moore's two different letters alleging abuse cover-ups and his plans for retaliation against SBC leadership. Concerns were raised about Moore's performance and relationships but were dismissed. His exit from the ERLC appeared coordinated, without board consent. Further allegations and leaked recordings set the stage to investigate the SBC executive committee at the 2021 annual meeting. However, subsequent probes found Moore's claims to be false. The podcast reveals lies, broken promises, and power struggles as key figures sought control over the SBC's direction and response to abuse issues. #CenterForBaptistLeadership #JonWhitehead #WilliamWolfe #ERLC #SBC #CoverUp #LeakedLetters #RussellMoore #Exposed #Truth #Justice Jon Whitehead is a lifelong Southern Baptist and the founding attorney of the Law Offices of Jonathan R. Whitehead LLC, located in Missouri. He is a Trustee of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), a former President of the Kansas City Lawyers’ Chapter of the Federalist Society, a 2002 Blackstone Fellow, and a graduate of Southwest Baptist University and Harvard Law School. He represents nonprofits in litigation, with deep experience in religious congregations and ministries. He was co-counsel in Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer (2017) and with First Liberty and IJ in Carson v. Makin (2022), protecting religious freedom in generally available government programs. Jon regularly files amicus briefs before the United States Supreme Court and United States Courts of Appeals on behalf of groups including the ERLC and the Missouri Baptist Convention. In 2013, he successfully obtained an injunction against the Obamacare abortifacient mandate on behalf of Christian business owners, and in 2020, he sued Jackson County, Missouri, for discriminating against local churches under the guise of COVID regulations. Learn more about Jon Whitehead's work: https://whiteheadlawllc.com/ https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/our-team/ –––––– Follow Center for Baptist Leadership across Social Media: X / Twitter – https://twitter.com/BaptistLeaders Website – https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/ To book William for media appearances or speaking engagements, please contact him at media@centerfor­baptistleadership.org. Follow Us on Twitter: William Wolfe - https://twitter.com/William_E_Wolfe Renew the SBC from within and defend the SBC from those who seek its destruction, donate today: https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/donate/ The Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast is powered by American Reformer, recorded remotely in the United States by William Wolfe, and edited by Jared Cummings. Subscribe to the Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast: Distribute our RSS Feed – https://centerforbaptistleadership.podbean.com/ Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/center-for-baptist-leadership/id1743074575 Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/0npXohTYKWYmWLsHkalF9t Amazon Music // Audible – https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ababbdd-6c6b-4ab9-b21a-eed951e1e67b BoomPlay – https://www.boomplaymusic.com/podcasts/96624 TuneIn – Coming Soon iHeartRadio – https://iheart.com/podcast/170321203 Listen Notes – https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/center-for-baptist-leadership-center-for-3liUZaE_Tnq/ Pandora – Coming Soon PlayerFM – https://player.fm/series/3570081 Podchaser – https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/the-center-for-baptist-leaders-5696654

In Today's exclusive part-one episode of the CBL Podcast, William Wolfe sits down with Jon Whitehead, a lifelong Southern Baptist, Attorney, and Trustee of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), to discuss the never-before-told story of Russell Moore's departure from the SBC. William and Jon explore Moore's two different letters alleging abuse cover-ups and his plans for retaliation against SBC leadership. Concerns were raised about Moore's performance and relationships but were dismissed. His exit from the ERLC appeared coordinated, without board consent. Further allegations and leaked recordings set the stage to investigate the SBC executive committee at the 2021 annual meeting. However, subsequent probes found Moore's claims to be false. The podcast reveals lies, broken promises, and power struggles as key figures sought control over the SBC's direction and response to abuse issues. #CenterForBaptistLeadership #JonWhitehead #WilliamWolfe #ERLC #SBC #CoverUp #LeakedLetters #RussellMoore #Exposed #Truth #Justice Jon Whitehead is a lifelong Southern Baptist and the founding attorney of the Law Offices of Jonathan R. Whitehead LLC, located in Missouri. He is a Trustee of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), a former President of the Kansas City Lawyers’ Chapter of the Federalist Society, a 2002 Blackstone Fellow, and a graduate of Southwest Baptist University and Harvard Law School. He represents nonprofits in litigation, with deep experience in religious congregations and ministries. He was co-counsel in Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer (2017) and with First Liberty and IJ in Carson v. Makin (2022), protecting religious freedom in generally available government programs. Jon regularly files amicus briefs before the United States Supreme Court and United States Courts of Appeals on behalf of groups including the ERLC and the Missouri Baptist Convention. In 2013, he successfully obtained an injunction against the Obamacare abortifacient mandate on behalf of Christian business owners, and in 2020, he sued Jackson County, Missouri, for discriminating against local churches under the guise of COVID regulations. Learn more about Jon Whitehead's work: https://whiteheadlawllc.com/ https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/our-team/ –––––– Follow Center for Baptist Leadership across Social Media: X / Twitter – https://twitter.com/BaptistLeaders Website – https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/ To book William for media appearances or speaking engagements, please contact him at media@centerfor­baptistleadership.org. Follow Us on Twitter: William Wolfe - https://twitter.com/William_E_Wolfe Renew the SBC from within and defend the SBC from those who seek its destruction, donate today: https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/donate/ The Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast is powered by American Reformer, recorded remotely in the United States by William Wolfe, and edited by Jared Cummings. Subscribe to the Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast: Distribute our RSS Feed – https://centerforbaptistleadership.podbean.com/ Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/center-for-baptist-leadership/id1743074575 Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/0npXohTYKWYmWLsHkalF9t Amazon Music // Audible – https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ababbdd-6c6b-4ab9-b21a-eed951e1e67b BoomPlay – https://www.boomplaymusic.com/podcasts/96624 TuneIn – Coming Soon iHeartRadio – https://iheart.com/podcast/170321203 Listen Notes – https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/center-for-baptist-leadership-center-for-3liUZaE_Tnq/ Pandora – Coming Soon PlayerFM – https://player.fm/series/3570081 Podchaser – https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/the-center-for-baptist-leaders-5696654

In Today's exclusive part-two episode of the CBL Podcast, William Wolfe sits down with Jon Whitehead, a lifelong Southern Baptist, Attorney, and Trustee of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), to discuss the never-before-told story of Russell Moore's departure from the SBC, the fallout from his leaked letters, which lead to investigations that found no wrongdoing but harmed the convention through attorney-client privilege waiver and wasted time and funds. If you missed part-one, go back and listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/center-for-baptist-leadership/id1743074575?i=1000653503272 #CenterForBaptistLeadership #JonWhitehead #WilliamWolfe #ERLC #SBC #CoverUp #LeakedLetters #RussellMoore #Exposed #Truth #Justice Jon Whitehead is a lifelong Southern Baptist and the founding attorney of the Law Offices of Jonathan R. Whitehead LLC, located in Missouri. He is a Trustee of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), a former President of the Kansas City Lawyers’ Chapter of the Federalist Society, a 2002 Blackstone Fellow, and a graduate of Southwest Baptist University and Harvard Law School. He represents nonprofits in litigation, with deep experience in religious congregations and ministries. He was co-counsel in Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer (2017) and with First Liberty and IJ in Carson v. Makin (2022), protecting religious freedom in generally available government programs. Jon regularly files amicus briefs before the United States Supreme Court and United States Courts of Appeals on behalf of groups including the ERLC and the Missouri Baptist Convention. In 2013, he successfully obtained an injunction against the Obamacare abortifacient mandate on behalf of Christian business owners, and in 2020, he sued Jackson County, Missouri, for discriminating against local churches under the guise of COVID regulations. Learn more about Jon Whitehead's work: https://whiteheadlawllc.com/ https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/our-team/ –––––– Follow Center for Baptist Leadership across Social Media: X / Twitter – https://twitter.com/BaptistLeaders Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/people/Center-For-Baptist-Leadership/61556762144277/ Rumble – https://rumble.com/c/c-6157089 YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@CenterforBaptistLeadership Website – https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/ To book William for media appearances or speaking engagements, please contact him at media@centerfor­baptistleadership.org. Follow Us on Twitter: William Wolfe - https://twitter.com/William_E_Wolfe Renew the SBC from within and defend the SBC from those who seek its destruction, donate today: https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/donate/ The Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast is powered by American Reformer, recorded remotely in the United States by William Wolfe, and edited by Jared Cummings. Subscribe to the Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast: Distribute our RSS Feed – https://centerforbaptistleadership.podbean.com/ Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/center-for-baptist-leadership/id1743074575 Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/0npXohTYKWYmWLsHkalF9t Amazon Music // Audible – https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ababbdd-6c6b-4ab9-b21a-eed951e1e67b BoomPlay – https://www.boomplaymusic.com/podcasts/96624 TuneIn – Coming Soon iHeartRadio – https://iheart.com/podcast/170321203 Listen Notes – https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/center-for-baptist-leadership-center-for-3liUZaE_Tnq/ Pandora – Coming Soon PlayerFM – https://player.fm/series/3570081 Podchaser – https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/the-center-for-baptist-leaders-5696654

Highlight from the exclusive part-two episode of the CBL Podcast. William Wolfe sits down with Jon Whitehead, a lifelong Southern Baptist, Attorney, and Trustee of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), to discuss the never-before-told story of Russell Moore's departure from the SBC, the fallout from his leaked letters, which lead to investigations that found no wrongdoing but harmed the convention and wasted immense time and funds. If you missed part-one, go back and listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/center-for-baptist-leadership/id1743074575?i=1000653503272 #CenterForBaptistLeadership #JonWhitehead #WilliamWolfe #ERLC #SBC #CoverUp #LeakedLetters #RussellMoore #Exposed #Truth #Justice Jon Whitehead is a lifelong Southern Baptist and the founding attorney of the Law Offices of Jonathan R. Whitehead LLC, located in Missouri. He is a Trustee of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), a former President of the Kansas City Lawyers’ Chapter of the Federalist Society, a 2002 Blackstone Fellow, and a graduate of Southwest Baptist University and Harvard Law School. He represents nonprofits in litigation, with deep experience in religious congregations and ministries. He was co-counsel in Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer (2017) and with First Liberty and IJ in Carson v. Makin (2022), protecting religious freedom in generally available government programs. Jon regularly files amicus briefs before the United States Supreme Court and United States Courts of Appeals on behalf of groups including the ERLC and the Missouri Baptist Convention. In 2013, he successfully obtained an injunction against the Obamacare abortifacient mandate on behalf of Christian business owners, and in 2020, he sued Jackson County, Missouri, for discriminating against local churches under the guise of COVID regulations. Learn more about Jon Whitehead's work: https://whiteheadlawllc.com/ https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/our-team/ –––––– Follow Center for Baptist Leadership across Social Media: X / Twitter – https://twitter.com/BaptistLeaders Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/people/Center-For-Baptist-Leadership/61556762144277/ Rumble – https://rumble.com/c/c-6157089 YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@CenterforBaptistLeadership Website – https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/ To book William for media appearances or speaking engagements, please contact him at media@centerfor­baptistleadership.org. Follow Us on Twitter: William Wolfe - https://twitter.com/William_E_Wolfe Renew the SBC from within and defend the SBC from those who seek its destruction, donate today: https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/donate/ The Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast is powered by American Reformer, recorded remotely in the United States by William Wolfe, and edited by Jared Cummings. Subscribe to the Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast: Distribute our RSS Feed – https://centerforbaptistleadership.podbean.com/ Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/center-for-baptist-leadership/id1743074575 Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/0npXohTYKWYmWLsHkalF9t Amazon Music // Audible – https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ababbdd-6c6b-4ab9-b21a-eed951e1e67b BoomPlay – https://www.boomplaymusic.com/podcasts/96624 TuneIn – Coming Soon iHeartRadio – https://iheart.com/podcast/170321203 Listen Notes – https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/center-for-baptist-leadership-center-for-3liUZaE_Tnq/ Pandora – Coming Soon PlayerFM – https://player.fm/series/3570081 Podchaser – https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/the-center-for-baptist-leaders-5696654

Welcome to the Center for Baptist Leadership podcast, hosted by William Wolfe. Our mission is to cultivate courageous and biblical Baptist leadership for the 21st century. We aim to revitalize the Southern Baptist Convention from within, defend it from those who seek its destruction, and serve as a better Baptist voice in the public square. #CBLPodcast #CenterforBaptistLeadership #SBC #SouthernBaptistConvention #Baptist #Christian #True #Biblical #Leadership Learn more about the Center for Baptist Leadership @ https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/ The new Center for Baptist Leadership podcast tackles the major theological, cultural, and political issues facing American Christians and Baptists today. Because the Southern Baptist Convention is one of America’s largest and most important Christian institutions, it's absolutely critical that it does not become liberal or go woke. To prevent this, we aim to offer biblically grounded solutions to help revitalize the SBC for the 21st Century. The podcast will feature interviews with important voices from the SBC and American evangelicalism, addressing topics of interest and concern to all American Christians who refuse to compromise under the increasing pressure of our secular and anti- Christian age. We believe that revival in America begins with the renewal of the SBC. The time to fight for our Christian denominations is now, and CBL is here to lead the way. William Wolfe is the Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Baptist Leadership. He has been a part of the Southern Baptist Convention for 13 years. After spending a decade living and working in Washington D.C., including for three Members of Congress, Heritage Action for America, as a Director at the State Department, and as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense at the DoD, William moved to Louisville, KY, to complete his seminary education in person. During that time, he became increasingly involved in much-needed work to revitalize the SBC as an institution, and the launch of CBL is an outgrowth of that work. Combining his experience in public policy and political strategy with his theological education and knowledge of the SBC, William has become a widely respected and authoritative commentator on the role of the SBC in broader American evangelicalism and the intersection of faith and politics in our nation. His work has been published in major outlets like Newsweek, The American Conservative, Christian Post, American Reformer, Daily Signal, The Federalist, and Daily Caller, etc., for think tanks like The Center for Renewing America, and for Christian publications such as 9 Marks and Founders Ministries. He also serves as a regular contributor to Liberty University’s Standing for Freedom Center. He completed the Pastoral Internship program at Capitol Hill Baptist Church and the Presidential Internship at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has a B.A. in History from Covenant College and an M.Div. from SBTS. To book William for media appearances or speaking engagements, please contact him at media@centerfor­baptistleadership.org. –––––– Follow Center for Baptist Leadership across Social Media: X / Twitter – https://twitter.com/BaptistLeaders YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@CenterforBaptistLeadership Rumble – https://rumble.com/c/c-6157089 Website – https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/ To book William for media appearances or speaking engagements, please contact him at media@centerfor­baptistleadership.org. Follow Us on Twitter: William Wolfe - https://twitter.com/William_E_Wolfe Renew the SBC from within and defend the SBC from those who seek its destruction, donate today: https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/donate/ The Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast is powered by American Reformer, recorded remotely in the United States by William Wolfe, and edited by Jared Cummings. Subscribe to the Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast: Get our RSS Feed – https://centerforbaptistleadership.podbean.com/ Apple Podcasts – Coming Soon Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/0npXohTYKWYmWLsHkalF9t Amazon Music // Audible – https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ababbdd-6c6b-4ab9-b21a-eed951e1e67b TuneIn – Coming Soon iHeartRadio – https://iheart.com/podcast/170321203 Listen Notes – Coming Soon Pandora – Coming Soon PlayerFM – https://player.fm/series/3570081 Podchaser – https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/the-center-for-baptist-leaders-5696654 Samsung – Coming Soon