A Christian ministry in Oregon is suing state officials after it was denied $400,000 in government funding because the organization requires employees and volunteers to sign and agree to its statement of faith.
Alliance Defending Freedom, a non-profit legal group, filed a motion Wednesday on behalf of 71Five Ministries requesting that a federal district court restore the Oregon youth ministry’s access to grant funding while a pending lawsuit continues against state officials who denied previously approved funding.
71Five Ministries serves young people in Oregon of all faiths and backgrounds, including at-risk youth, young people in detention centers and correctional facilities, and expectant and parenting teens, according to ADF.
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From 2017 to 2023, the ministry applied for—and was granted—funds from Oregon’s biennial Youth Community Investment Grants program. Â
However, when the organization applied for funding for the next cycle they were denied due to a new rule that requires that applicants “not discriminate” based on religion “in (their) employment practices.”
ADF filed a lawsuit on behalf of the ministry this month claiming the agency’s “new rule” violated their client’s religious freedom
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