Land Center Fellows

C. Ben Mitchell is a professor of ethics who recently retired from more than a decade as the Graves Chair of Moral Philosophy at Union University where he also served for three years as Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs and Special Assistant to the President. Mitchell also consults on matters of public policy and has given testimonies before policymaking groups including the U. S. House of Representatives, the Institutes of Medicine, and the Illinois Senate.

David S. Dockery serves as professor of theology, editor of the Southwestern Journal of Theology, special consultant to the president. Having authored or edited more than 40 volumes, and contributed to more than 75 other books, he is best known for his works in the area of Baptist studies, Christian higher education, and biblical interpretation. He also leads the Center for Global Evangelicalism at Southwestern Theological Seminary.

Nathan Finn, Provost and Dean of the University Faculty at North Greenville University, is a historical and systematic theologian who writes and speaks widely on Baptist history and thought, leadership, and Christian higher education. He serves as a Research Fellow for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. He frequently preaches and teaches for local churches, ministry leadership conferences, Bible conferences, and other similar events.

Hunter Baker, J.D., Ph.D. serves as dean of the college of arts and sciences and professor of political science at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. He is the author of three books (The End of Secularism, Political Thought: A Student's Guide, and The System Has a Soul), has contributed chapters to several others, and has written for a wide variety of print and digital publications. He is the winner of the 2011 Michael Novak Award conferred by the Acton Institute and has lectured widely on matters of religion and liberty.

Jeremy has always been fascinated by small creatures and their place in God’s creation. As an undergraduate at Bryan College, he majored in Biology with a minor in Origins Research. He then earned his Masters and PhD from the University of Tennessee where he focused on the diversification of parasitoid flies around the world. Currently an Associate Professor of Biology at Union University, Jeremy teaches Zoology and Environmental Ethics, researches the systematics of bug-killing flies and cricket-assassin wasps, and writes on the complicated dialogue between Christian theology and parasite biology.

Luke Bobo is a visiting instructor of contemporary culture at Covenant Seminary, and is the author of several books including, Race, Economics, and Apologetics: Is There a Connection?, A Layperson’s Guide to Biblical Interpretation, and Living Salty and Light Filled Lives in the Workplace. He co-authored or serve as editor of Worked Up: Navigating Calling After College, Fertile Ground: Faith and Work Field Guide for Youth Pastors, and Discipleship With Monday In Mind: 16 Churches Connecting Faith and Work.

Casey serves as the Lead Pastor of Copperfield Church in Houston, TX. In addition to his role at Copperfield, Casey serves as an Assistant Professor of Biblical Interpretation at Luther Rice College and Seminary. Casey holds a B.G.S. in Computer Applications from Louisiana Tech University, an M.Div. in Biblical Languages, a Th.M. in Biblical Interpretation from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS), and a Ph.D. in Biblical Interpretation from NOBTS with minors in theology and in ethics. He wrote his dissertation on the relationship between Zechariah 1-8 and the book of Ephesians under the supervision of Dr. Charles Ray and Dr. Norris Grubbs.

Jason Thacker serves as chair of research in technology ethics and director of the research institute at The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. He also serves as an adjunct instructor of philosophy, ethics, and worldview at Boyce College in Louisville, KY. He is the author of several books including Following Jesus in the Digital Age and The Age of AI: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity. He also serves as the editor of The Digital Public Square: Christian Ethics in a Technological Society and co-editor of the forthcoming Essentials in Christian Ethics series with B&H Academic. He is the project leader and lead drafter of Artificial Intelligence: An Evangelical Statement of Principles, and his work has been featured at Slate, Politico, The Week, Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, and Desiring God.

Obbie Tyler Todd is a pastor and historian. He is the pastor of Third Baptist Church of Marion, Illinois and serves as adjunct faculty at Luther Rice College & Seminary. Obbie is the author of three books, including The Moral Governmental Theory of Atonement (Cascade, 2021), A Baptist at the Crossroads (Pickwick, 2021), and Southern Edwardseans (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2022). Obbie has also been published in a dozen academic journals and has written on American history for Desiring God, The Gospel Coalition, and The Liberty Fund.

Obbie holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Kentucky, received two masters from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and earned a PhD at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He has served churches in Kentucky, Louisiana, and Georgia. Obbie and his wife Kelly have twins.

Mark Tooley is president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy and editor of IRD’s foreign policy and national security journal, Providence: A Journal of Christianity & American Foreign Policy.  He worked eight years for the Central Intelligence Agency and is a graduate of Georgetown University.  In 1994 he joined IRD to found its United Methodist project (UMAction) and became IRD President in 2009.

Jared Wellman serves as the Lead Pastor at Tate Springs in Arlington, Texas and as an Adjunct Professor of Apologetics at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

He has earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies and a Master of Arts in Philosophy from Criswell College in Dallas, Texas, as well as a Ph.D. in Theology at South African Theological Seminary. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Apologetics at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Dr. George Yancey is a Professor at the Institute for Studies of Religion and Sociology at Baylor University. He has a Master's degree in economics and a Doctorate in sociology from the University of Texas at Austin. He has published several research articles on institutional racial diversity, racial identity, atheists, cultural progressives, academic bias, and anti-Christian hostility. His books includeBeyond Racial Gridlock (Intervarsity Press), a Christian book that articulates a mutual obligations approach to racial issues, and, with Michael Emerson, Transcending Racial Barriers (Oxford University Press), an academic book that articulates a mutual obligations approach and Beyond Racial Division (InterVarsity Press) that examines the use of collaborative conversations to reduce racial tensions.

John D. Wilsey (PhD, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is Associate Professor of Church History and Philosophy at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and research fellow at the Center for Religion, Culture, and Democracy. He was the 2017-18 William E. Simon Visiting Fellow in Religion and Public Life at the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University, where he conducted his research for his most recent book, God's Cold Warrior: The Life and Faith of John Foster Dulles(Eerdmans, 2021). He is currently working on two book manuscripts, provisionally entitled A Conservative Primer on Religious Freedom (Eerdmans) and God and Country: Exploring Faith, History, and American Identity (B&H Academic). He is an avid outdoorsman, and enjoys spending time with his wife Mandy and two daughters. Wilsey is a member of Kenwood Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scott James serves as an elder at The Church at Brook Hills. He and his wife, Jaime, have four children and live in Birmingham, Alabama, where he works as a pediatric infectious diseases physician and researcher. He is a Senior Research Fellow with the ERLC, a Fellow of the Center for Baptist Renewal, and a member of Focus on the Family’s Physician Resource Council. He is also the author of Advent- and Easter-themed family worship books, as well as the illustrated children’s books Where Is Wisdom?, The Littlest Watchman, and The Sower. 

Rebeccah L. Heinrichs is a scholar of international relations and US foreign policy. Ms. Heinrichs publishes frequently in leading political magazines and academic journals and provides briefings and analysis to government and business leaders on foreign affairs, defense policy, and strategy. She regularly contributes analysis on national news and radio programs.

Katie McCoy serves as Director Women's Ministry at Texas Baptists. She holds a PhD in Systematic Theology from Southwestern Seminary (TX), where she served on faculty for five years. Katie's research includes the patterns of justice for women in Old Testament laws as well as the intersection of theology, gender, and women's studies. She has co-authored a work on the doctrine of humanity as part of the Theology for the People of God series (B&H Academic) and is a frequent speaker and writer on women's and gender issues. You can find Katie online at blondeorthodoxy.com.

Dr. Christina Crenshaw has 20 years experience as a professor, researcher, writer, and anti-human trafficking advocate. She holds a PhD in Education with an emphasis in English from Baylor University. Her undergraduate and masters degrees in English were earned at Texas A&M University. She holds a Texas state certified secondary teacher. True to her continuous learner personality, she is also completing a postdoctoral Masters of Theology at Dallas Seminary.

Brent Leatherwood currently serves as Acting President of the ERLC, as well as Vice President of External Affairs and Chief of Staff. Before coming to the ERLC, he served as the executive director of the Tennessee Republican Party from December 2012 to December 2016, where he managed the organization’s campaign apparatus at the federal, state and local levels. He also worked on Capitol Hill as a senior legislative aide to former Rep. Connie Mack, R-Fla. Brent and his wife Meredith have three children and are members of The Church at Avenue South, where Brent serves as a deacon.

Bart Barber has served as the pastor of First Baptist Church in Farmersville, Texas, since 1999. At the SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, California, June 14-15, 2022, Bart was elected President of the Southern Baptist Convention. A native of Lake City, Arkansas, Bart has served churches in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. He has earned degrees from Baylor University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, culminating in a PhD in Church History. He is married to Tracy Brady Barber. Together they have two children, Jim and Sarah.

Dr. Richard Land serves as the Executive Editor of The Christian Post. Previously, he served as the President of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention prior to becoming the president of Southern Evangelical Seminary in 2013. In 2007, The Richard Land Center for Cultural Engagement was established by Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary where Dr. Land is a Visiting Professor. Dr. Richard Land is a well-respected commentator on issues related to religion, politics, history and culture, and has appeared in thousands of media interviews in most major media outlets over the course of his career.