Contact: Ty Mays, 770-256-8710, tmays@inchristcommunications.com

WINCHESTER, Va., Aug. 25 /Christian Newswire/ -- Today the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) joined more than 100 religious leaders who have signed a letter distributed to members of the House of Representatives and Senate urging respect for religious hiring rights.

Legislation pending on Capitol Hill would deny faith-based charities that receive federal grants the right to hire employees who hold the same faith, the letter states. 

"The right that a religious organization possesses to hire those of like faith is fundamental to First Amendment guarantees of free religious exercise," said Dan Busby, ECFA president. "This has astounding implications for major international charities that help tens of millions of people, as well as smaller ministries and churches."

The letter comes on the heels of an Aug. 23 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that upheld the legally protected practice of hiring workers of like faith. The case involved three employees of the international Christian charity World Vision which, upon their hiring, signed a statement of faith, but later disagreed with the statement.

The letter further states that faith-based groups should have equal footing with secular groups when competing for federal funding, and that any changes to laws governing religious hiring must be done only following "full, substantive, and open debate."

"We respectfully urge you to oppose any effort to amend the Religious Freedom Restoration Act ('RFRA'), to amend Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, or otherwise to dilute the right of faith-based social service organizations to stay faith-based through their hiring, including when awarded a federal grant," the letter stated.

The letter is posted on the ECFA website at www.ecfa.org/Files/RHR_Sign-on_Letter_082510.pdf. A document by University of Michigan law professor Douglas Laycock referenced in the letter is posted at www.ecfa.org/Files/LaycockHolderReRFRA.pdf.

ECFA, founded in 1979, provides accreditation to leading Christian nonprofit organizations that faithfully demonstrate compliance with the ECFA standards pertaining to financial accountability, fund-raising and board governance. For more information about ECFA, including accreditation and a listing of ECFA-accredited members, visit www.ecfa.org or call (800) 323-9473.

Any contacts can be made to Ty Mays at (770) 256-8710 or tmays@inchristcommunications.com.