Lower Court Re-Hears Yakima Union Gospel Mission Case It Previously Dismissed

The Yakima Union Gospel Mission in Washington had another day in court this week.

Like other religious organizations, the mission seeks to hire employees who share its religious beliefs, including what the Bible teaches about marriage and homosexuality. But the Washington Supreme Court reinterpreted a so-called non-discrimination state law in a way that bars religious organizations from doing this.

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) filed a pre-enforcement lawsuit on the Yakima Union Gospel Mission’s behalf.

The district court dismissed the case, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed the ruling and sent the case back to the lower court, which re-heard the case this week.

“The Constitution gives religious organizations the freedom to hire employees who are aligned with and live out their religious beliefs,” said ADF Senior Counsel Ryan Tucker, director of the Center for Christian Ministries.

For organizations like the Yakima Union Gospel Mission, it is important to hire people who share their faith. They feed the hungry and provide medical care, but they seek to spread the Gospel. An unbeliever, by definition, will not do this. And the government will go after the mission if a rejected, non-believing job applicant files a complaint.