Brent Leatherwood, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s public policy arm, has been removed from his position.

On Monday night, the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission issued a brief statement on behalf of the executive committee of its board confirming Leatherwood’s removal but providing few details on what led to the ouster.

The sudden removal came less than 24 hours after Leatherwood praised President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the presidential race, publishing a column calling it the “correct” decision for the country. Leatherwood also made a separate statement to The Baptist Press calling Biden’s decision “selfless.”

These people will not tolerate even the slightest deviation from orthodoxy.