Stanley Carlson-Thies

Faith-based organizations, as their name suggests, may serve and operate somewhat differently than their secular counterparts. The legitimacy of such differences are often clearly acknowledged in laws and regulations: for example, by religious exemptions. Or the freedom for the organizations to maintain the different ways of serving or operating may be protected under general rules: the First Amendment’s protection of religious exercise or a federal or state Religious Freedom Restoration Act. In either case, it is important that the faith-based organizations follow religious-freedom Best Practices.

Religious-freedom Best Practices guidelines help a faith-based organization clearly articulate its religious convictions, connect those convictions to its distinctive policies, and ensure that its practices consistently reflect the policies and convictions.

Such Best Practices are essential for legal protection: it needs to be manifest to courts and regulators that the organization in fact is a religious organization, and its practices that differ from the secular norm need to be clearly the consequence of the organization’s religious convictions. And Best Practices are just as important as a way for the organization to ensure that it operates and serves consistent with its faith-rooted mission.

Best Practices Resources:

Christian Legal Society and IRFA: Faith-Based Organizations Guidance for Same-Sex Issues, white paper and webinar.

Stephen Monsma and Stanley Carlson-Thies, Free to Serve: Protecting the Religious Freedom of Faith-Based Organizations (BrazosPress, 2015), Ch. 10: “How Faith-Based Organizations Can Protect Their Religious Freedom.” Browse the book’s website.

Eric Kniffin, Protecting Your Right to Serve (Institute for Family, Community, and Opportunity at the Heritage Foundation).

Alliance Defending Freedom, Protecting Your Ministry.

Liberty Institute, Religious Liberty Protection Kit for Ministries.