Stand Up to Religious Discrimination
A Christian ministry that has served its community passionately—changing the lives of kids and young adults for over 60 years—was recently stripped of its grant funding by government bureaucrats. Why? Because Oregon officials say this religious ministry can’t require its employees and volunteers to sign a statement of faith and confirm church attendance.
They say that amounts to discrimination, and they pulled more than $400,000 in grant funds.
That’s why we’re suing the state agency on the ministry’s behalf, and it’s why we need your help.
When you give to support cases like this, you’re not just standing with our courageous clients, you’re helping everyday people, such as the many young people who have found faith in God through this ministry’s mentorship program.
For a limited time, your gift will help maximize the impact of a $250,000 challenge grant—help make sure no dollar is wasted!
Our fiscal year funding deadline—June 30—is almost here. We’re relying on your generosity to help ensure we’re fully funded for the legal battles ahead.
Why is it important to defend this local Christian ministry? How does it impact you?
If courts allow Oregon to discriminate against Youth 71Five Ministries, EVERY nonprofit religious ministry that receives state funding in the state could be similarly at risk.
But this issue goes beyond what’s happening in Oregon.
With your help, we’re challenging a similar policy in Washington State—Yakima Union Gospel Mission has been told it can’t hire only people who share and live out its religious beliefs.
And in Michigan, Christian Healthcare Centers is being forced to hire people who do not share their religious beliefs, to prescribe cross-sex hormones to facilitate efforts to alter a patient’s biological sex, and to use pronouns that do not accord with a person’s biological sex.
These are clearly attempts to use government power to target religious organizations and force them to alter or abandon their beliefs if they don’t line up with the state’s view.
If the courts uphold these destructive policies in one state, it could spread to other states.
Soon it could be a ministry that you volunteer with or a religious nonprofit your church supports.
Right now, we’re waiting for a decision from the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit—it could be handed down any day. Regardless of the result, we’ll stand by 71Five—even if it takes us all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Your support helps us stay in the courtroom and take on important cases like this.