From NBC News: Lawyers for a Christian homeless shelter are scheduled to be in a federal appeals court Friday to challenge a Washington state anti-discrimination law that would require the charity to hire LGBTQ people and others who do not share its religious beliefs, including those on sexuality and marriage.
Union Gospel Mission in Yakima, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) southeast of Seattle, is asking the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to revive a lawsuit dismissed by a lower court. The Alliance Defending Freedom, a global legal organization, is assisting the mission.
Ryan Tucker, senior counsel with the alliance, said the mission faces prosecution for engaging in its “constitutionally protected freedom to hire fellow believers who share the mission’s calling to spread the gospel and care for vulnerable people” in the community.
Earlier this week, the legal firm Alliance Defending Freedom shared a video along with the following statement about the case:
This Christian homeless ministry has faithfully served its community for 85 years. But if Washington state gets its way, Yakima Union Gospel Mission will soon be forced to lose the Christian character at the heart of everything it does.
State officials say the mission must hire employees who don’t share its religious beliefs. But the Constitution protects religious organizations’ right to hire like-minded staff. That’s why we’re representing the mission in a lawsuit against Washington state.
Since America’s earliest days, faith-based charity has played an essential role in our communities. We can’t let that end in Washington state.
This Friday, July 19, our attorneys will appear before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of Yakima Union Gospel Mission. We’re asking the court to uphold the mission’s constitutional rights, so it can continue doing what it does best: giving life-changing hope and help to those who need it most.
This Christian homeless ministry has faithfully served its community for 85 years. But if Washington state gets its way, Yakima Union Gospel Mission will soon be forced to lose the Christian character at the heart of everything it does.
State officials say the mission must hire… pic.twitter.com/ugoaUp4KFW
— Alliance Defending Freedom (@ADFLegal) July 17, 2024
Friday morning, Alliance Defending Freedom wrote:
ORAL ARGUMENT TODAY: Today our legal team will go before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to argue on behalf of Yakima Union Gospel Mission. This Christian ministry has been serving homeless and needy people in Washington state for 85 years.
We’re asking the court to allow that faith-centered ministry to continue. A recent ruling from the Washington Supreme Court forces religious organizations to hire employees who don’t share the organization’s religious beliefs. But the mission needs faithful Christian employees to carry out its purpose: to serve the community with the love of Christ, share the Gospel with everyone it encounters, and be a haven of like-minded believers where discipleship and fellowship can flourish.
The First Amendment protects their right to do just that. Under the Constitution, religious organizations are free to hire employees who share and live out their religious beliefs.
Please pray for our clients as we go to court this morning. Ask God to protect their freedom, grant them justice, and strengthen their Gospel ministry among those in need.
ORAL ARGUMENT TODAY: Today our legal team will go before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to argue on behalf of Yakima Union Gospel Mission. This Christian ministry has been serving homeless and needy people in Washington state for 85 years.
We’re asking the court to allow that… pic.twitter.com/zDmnrhmO1q
— Alliance Defending Freedom (@ADFLegal) July 19, 2024
