A federal appeals court has ruled in favor of Union Gospel Mission of Yakima, Washington, affirming the Christian ministry’s right to hire employees who align with its religious beliefs. In a unanimous decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit blocked Washington state from applying its nondiscrimination law to the ministry’s hiring practices related to faith.
Union Gospel Mission filed suit after the Washington Supreme Court interpreted a religious exemption as applying only to “ministers,” raising concerns that hiring for over 50 non-ministerial roles could expose the ministry to legal action. The ministry requires staff to uphold Christian doctrine, including “abstaining from any sexual conduct outside of biblical marriage between one man and one woman.”
The court ruled that “If a religious organization’s hiring of co-religionists for non-ministerial positions rests on its sincerely held religious beliefs, then the church autonomy doctrine forbids government interference with that hiring decision.”
ADF Senior Counsel Jeremiah Galus stated, “Religious organizations should not be punished for exercising their constitutionally protected freedom to hire employees who are aligned with and live out their shared religious beliefs.”
