Becket backs Washington Christian ministry's faith-based hiring
Faith & Religion
Post Date:
July 24, 2026
Becket backs Washington Christian ministry’s faith-based hiring
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Becket, a legal nonprofit, came before a federal court on Wednesday to urge officials in Washington state to stop policing religious hiring policies at faith-centered institutions. The organization argued that the First Amendment protected groups such as the Union Gospel Mission of Yakima, which the state sued over the religious standards for its employees.
Becket, an organization that says it defends religious liberty for all and has an undefeated record in the U.S. Supreme Court, urged the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to stop Washington state from punishing the mission. The Union Gospel Mission of Yakima characterizes itself as a Christian organization that has been aiding the homeless since 1936, and has hired based on its Christian beliefs for 90 years. Washington state law protected religious nonprofits’ rights for over 70 years, until a 2021 Washington Supreme Court decision limited those protections solely to ministers, putting organizations at risk, according to Becket.
Rebekah Ricketts, senior counsel at Becket, made the argument that a Jewish school shouldn’t be forced to hire an anti-Semitic janitor and a Christian charity shouldn’t have to hire someone who mocks the cross. She called this simple common sense in a Friday statement. She called religious freedom a dead letter if it can be dictated by government officials, adding that hiring decisions belonged to religious groups alone. The mission released a statement on its website insisting that the Constitution protects its freedom to hire people who share its founding faith.
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Micah Barkley is an intern in WORLD’s breaking news division and a graduate of the World Journalism Institute 2026 college course.
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