Oregon nonprofit Christian mission organization Struggling The court complaint alleges that state agencies placed conditions on funding when hiring workers who didn’t share their beliefs.
The organization, known as 71Five Ministries in Medford, Said Its mission is “to share God’s story of hope with young people through trusting relationships in every appropriate way.”
Taking its name from Psalm 71:5, “You, O Lord God, are my hope; from my youth I have trusted in you,” the group mobilizes caring adults to build trusting relationships with the younger generations in their communities.
Fox News reported on Tuesday:
71Five Ministries, an Oregon-based Christian missionary organization, is now suffering a huge annual budget deficit because the state’s Department of Education stripped the organization of funding because of its religious nature, according to a lawsuit filed in March by Alliance Defending Freedom. The case wrapped up oral arguments last week and is awaiting a judge’s decision.
The group had received funding for six years but was later denied assistance because of the faith profession required of its staff.
71Five Ministries details its statement of faith on its website, saying its board members, employees and volunteers “must unconditionally subscribe to and adhere to the following tenets of faith.”
Click here here Read the statement of faith.
According to Fox, “ADF argued that as a religious organization, it has a legally protected right to give preference to members of its faith as employees and volunteers. It based its argument on, among other things, Supreme Court decisions that hold that the government cannot interfere with religious organizations’ ‘selection of individuals who represent their faith.'”
Budd Amundsen, the nonprofit’s executive director, told Fox the department was confused when its funding was withdrawn.
He is now looking at how to deal with the financial situation going forward and hopes he won’t have to cut the number of staff supporting young people.
“The grant amount was over 10 percent of our budget, so to increase the grant we would obviously have to find another way to raise the funds. Right now we’ve had to use $187,000 in reserves to keep the program going,” he explained.
In April 2023, Rev. Franklin Graham slammed the state of Oregon for putting political agendas above the needs of children after a mother named Jessica Bates’ adoption application was allegedly denied because of her Christian beliefs regarding gender and sexual orientation, Breitbart News reported.
“There are over 8,000 children in foster care in Oregon and approximately 200 waiting for adoption. It’s terrible that the state is putting political agendas and woke ideology above the needs of these children. Thank you ADF Legal “Thank you for coming to Jessica’s rescue and fighting for the rights of Christians around the world,” he said.
