EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — The right of faith-based organizations to hire and fire staff must be retained as the federal government seeks to make more funds for social services available to them, the National Association of Evangelicals said March 6.
Members of the evangelical umbrella organization adopted a resolution at their annual meeting applauding President Bush’s faith-based initiative but which used forceful language about their desire to make staffing decisions on the basis of religion regardless of federal, state or local anti-bias employment laws.
“Such equal treatment without being accompanied by expressed legal guarantees of autonomy concerning the operation of a religious organization’s governance and internal administration is a false and dangerous promise for faith-based social service providers,” the resolution said.
Bill Hamel, chairman of the board of the evangelical organization, said many evangelicals are concerned that greater government involvement in faith based social services could cause them to have to hire people outside their faith.
Share with others: