US Govt concedes Christian mission has right to employ only believers

State and government officials in the US have backed down after demanding that a Christian mission organisation employs non-Christians.

A job applicant, supported by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), filed a charge of discrimination against Wyoming Rescue Mission (WRM), alleging she had been denied employment for “not having Christian beliefs”.

Founded in 1978, the Mission’s stated aim is to “propagate the Gospel of Jesus”, and all employees are required to: “Encourage guests, staff, volunteers, and customers to accept God’s gift of salvation and grow in their faith”.

Gospel ministry

In 2020, WRM, based in Casper, decided not to hire a self-proclaimed “non-Christian” to work in one of its charity shops.

The Mission denied that it had discriminated against the applicant, explaining it had a statutory right to limit employment to individuals who share its Christian convictions.

After the WRM took legal action to challenge the discrimination charge, the EEOC and Wyoming Department of Workforce Services (DWS) conceded that WRM is free to hire like-minded believers.

‘Essential’

The Christian ministry, represented by Alliance Defence Freedom, successfully settled its civil rights case against the EEOC and the State’s DWS.

ADF Senior Counsel Ryan Tucker said: “Like-minded employees who share the mission’s purpose to spread the gospel and uplift the Casper community by providing free meals, shelter, recovery programs, and job training are essential for the Wyoming Rescue Mission to continue its important work.”

He added: “Wyoming officials have rightly recognised that both state and federal laws protect religious organisations’ ability to hire those who share their beliefs.”

Last year, the Mission served 60,862 free meals to the public, provided 41,037 beds for men, women, and children, and enrolled 92 people on its addiction recovery programme.