News Release
For Immediate Release: 2.23.26
Contact: John Manning, media@firstliberty.org
Direct: 972-941-4453
U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Review of Fifth Circuit Opinion Protecting Religious Ministry Employment Rights
Court denies cert in case involving Southern Baptist Mission Board.
Washington, DC—Today, the U.S. Supreme Court denied review of an appeal seeking to overturn a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirming dismissal of a lawsuit against the North American Mission Board (“NAMB”) of the Southern Baptist Convention (“SBC”). The Fifth Circuit held courts cannot “interfere with matters of church government, matters of faith, [and] matters of doctrine.” First Liberty Institute and WilmerHale represent NAMB.
“There should be no doubt that religious institutions—not judges—have the freedom to choose how to fulfill their religious missions and with whom they will partner to carry out those missions,” said Matthew Martens, partner at WilmerHale. “We are grateful that the Fifth Circuit recognized this important principle of religious freedom and that the Supreme Court upheld its decision.”
“The First Amendment prohibits the government from interfering with the autonomy of religious organizations, associations, or churches,” said Hiram Sasser, Executive General Counsel for First Liberty Institute. “No court should be able to tell the church who it must partner with to preach their beliefs, teach their faith, or carry out their mission.”
NAMB partners with Southern Baptist churches, local associations, and state conventions to share the Christian faith by caring for refugees, fighting human trafficking, supporting adoption/foster care, coordinating the response to natural disasters, and planting new churches. A former executive director of a state convention of Southern Baptist churches sued alleging that NAMB influenced his termination.
The church autonomy doctrine protects the religious liberty of religious organizations and all churches by preventing courts from considering a case challenging how they pursue their religious mission. In this case, NAMB cannot effectively carry out its mission of helping churches share the gospel, engage in compassion ministry, and plant new churches across North America if a court becomes involved in how NAMB chooses to cooperate or how NAMB determines those with whom it can effectively carry out its mission.
###
About First Liberty Institute
First Liberty Institute is a non-profit public interest law firm and the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans.
To arrange an interview, contact John Manning at media@firstliberty.org or by calling 972-941-4453.
 |
|
|
