Christian Ministries Facing Opposition in Washington State
There are Christian organizations all over the nation and in the state of Washington that exist to share the hope of the Gospel and to be the hands and feet of Jesus to people in need.
Forcing these organizations to hire people who don't share their religious beliefs would fundamentally change their missions. They would cease to be Christian.
Yet that's exactly what the state of Washington is trying to do by threatening penalties for failing to hire those do not share and live out the same faith.
One of the ministries Washington is threatening is Yakima Union Gospel Mission.
Founded in 1936, the ministry has been providing shelter, meals, and discipleship to thousands of people without a home in the city of Yakima.
So many people in Washington need food, shelter, and compassionate support. But ultimately, they need the love of Christ.
That’s why Yakima Union Gospel Mission exists.
Everything the ministry does is guided by its Christian beliefs. Staff there are motivated to treat each and every person with dignity and respect, informed by the truth that God has made every person in His image. And the ministry’s ultimate purpose is to share the hope of Christ with others.
You would think it would be in the state’s best interest to support ministries that are helping those that need help the most.
Instead, state officials are threatening the ministry with significant penalties unless it agrees to hire employees who do not share and live out the ministry’s religious beliefs about marriage and sexuality.
In the wake of this reinterpretation of state law, Yakima Union Gospel Mission even received applications from individuals who didn’t share the ministry’s faith. Others publicly mocked the organization’s faith-based hiring process.
The ministry was even threatened with physical violence. And state officials investigated similar ministries for having similar hiring practices.
The courts and the government have no business simply shrugging off freedom protected by the First Amendment.
Yakima Union Gospel Mission and more Christian ministries need people like you to stand with them. When you give a gift today, you will help protect the freedom of brothers and sisters in Christ and keep the door open for the Gospel.