10/5/11: Supreme Court Upholds Ministry Hiring Practices

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The Supreme Court has let stand a lower court ruling that found World Vision can fire employees who don’t accept its Christian doctrinal statement.

Three fired employees sued World Vision in 2007, arguing that the charity’s main focus was on relief rather than religious work, so it should not be allowed to hire only fellow believers.

But last year, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the plaintiffs’ claim and on Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear their appeal.

World Vision U.S. President Richard Stearn calls it “a major victory for the freedom of all religious organizations to hire employees who share the same faith.” He says World Vision’s hiring policy is essential to its “mission to serve the poor as followers of Jesus Christ.”

World Vision employs more than 40,000 staff worldwide.