Ninth Circuit Rules in Favor of Ministry Hiring Rights

January 6, 2026 – In a significant win for religious freedom, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has unanimously ruled that the First Amendment protects the right of faith-based ministries to hire staff who share their religious beliefs.

Alliance Defending Freedom represented Yakima Union Gospel Mission in challenging a 2021 ruling by the Washington State Supreme Court that prohibited the ministry from hiring only believers. The decision affirms that faith-based hiring protections apply to all mission staff, not solely to those in ministerial or clergy-specific roles.

This ruling builds on earlier efforts by Alliance Defending Freedom, which in 2021 appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States on behalf of Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission in a similar case. At that time, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case, determining that the Washington State Supreme Court first needed to address the constitutional conflict it had created with federal law.

The Ninth Circuit’s decision now provides important clarity and protection for Gospel-centered ministries. It affirms a foundational principle: to remain authentically faith-based and mission-driven, ministries must be free to employ staff who believe and live out the Gospel they proclaim.