MinistryWatch Podcast

On today’s program, Morningstar Ministries is undergoing a leadership shakeup…after its CEO resigned, allegations of sexual misconduct began to arise. We’ll have details. And, many Christian colleges have fallen on hard times. But a Christian university in Georgia has been trying out new ways to grow enrollment…and it appears to be working. We’ll take a look. Plus, Trinity International University is on the look out for a new president….just six months after its current president took the reins. But first, the National Religious Broadcasters is suing the IRS over the Johnson Amendment. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh.  We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Bob Smietana, Kim Roberts, Chris Moon, Tony Mator, and Brittany Smith. A special thanks to the Christian Standard for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.     MANUSCRIPT   FIRST SEGMENT Warren: Hello everybody. I’m Warren Smith, coming to you from Charlotte, North Carolina. Natasha: And I’m Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado. And we’d like to welcome you to the MinistryWatch podcast. Warren: On today’s program, Morningstar Ministries is undergoing a leadership shakeup…after its CEO resigned, allegations of sexual misconduct began to arise. We’ll have details. And, many Christian colleges have fallen on hard times. But a Christian university in Georgia has been trying out new ways to grow enrollment…and it appears to be working. We’ll take a look. Plus, Trinity International University is on the look out for a new president….just six months after its current president took the reins. Natasha: But first, the National Religious Broadcasters is suing the I-R-S over the Johnson Amendment.. Warren: A group of evangelical broadcasters is suing the Internal Revenue Service over the Johnson Amendment, a tax law that bars nonprofits from supporting political candidates. Lawyers for the National Religious Broadcasters, along with two Baptist churches and a conservative group called Intercessors for America, argue in their suit that the ban on engaging in politics restricts their freedom of speech and freedom of religion. They further argue that the IRS ignores the politicking of some charities, while threatening to punish others. Natasha: Do they have examples to support their claim? Warren: Lawyers for the groups claim that newspapers and other news outlets that have become nonprofits in recent years, such as the Philadelphia Inquirer, endorse candidates. Why can’t churches or other Christian groups, they want to know, do the same? Natasha: The lawsuit is the latest challenge to the Johnson Amendment, a 1954 law that has long been the bane of conservative groups and, in particular, preachers seeking to become more involved in politics. The ban on taking sides in campaigns — including endorsements or campaign contributions — applies to nonprofits that fall under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code.  Warren: The current lawsuit pitches its argument toward religious freedom principles. But the growing number of nonprofit newsrooms has added a new twist to the arguments over the Johnson Amendment that has to do with fairness. Those newsrooms, the complaint argues, should be required to abide by the same rules as other charities. The complaint points specifically to the Inquirer’s candidate endorsements, as well as articles critical of candidates in other nonprofit publications from 2012 to the present, claiming all violated IRS rules with impunity. A spokesman for the IRS declined to comment, citing the pending litigation. The NRB did not respond to a series of questions from RNS about the lawsuit. Natasha: Next, the president of MorningStar Ministries, a prominent charismatic ministry just outside of Ch...

For 2000 years Christians have heeded the call of The Great Commission to “go into all the world.” Christian missionaries have become some of the heroes of the faith, the subject of books, songs, and movies. But we rarely hear about the children of these missionaries. In the past few years, stories of spiritual and sexual abuse of missionary kids have started making news. Sometimes, even when there is no abuse, there is neglect and isolation, as many missionary kids, or MKs, are shuttled off to boarding schools, or follow their parents from one missionary assignment to another, often having to leave friends and support structures behind. Recent research suggests that there are more than 425,000 Christian missionaries in the world today, and many hundreds of thousands of current and former missionary kids. Recent research suggests that MKs experience childhood trauma at a rate nearly twice that of kids raised in the United States. The result is that MKs are often left with questions about God and their own faith if their own commitment doesn’t match their missionary parents. Joy Smalley was one of those missionary kids. Her parents were missionaries to Mongolia, and she was raised in conditions that at times compromised her safety and caused her to question her own faith. Ultimately, she did not reject her faith, and her story is one that evangelicals need to hear if we hope not only to be obedient to the Great Commission, but also to be obedient to Scripture’s commands to “suffer the children” in our midst, to protect them and raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Her book is Abraham’s Daughter: Healing Trauma from a Childhood in Missions. She spoke to me from her home in Tustin, California. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. I’m your host Warren Smith. Please join me on Friday when Natasha Cowden and I recap the week’s news. Until then, may God bless you.

On today’s program, three years after sexual abuse allegations surfaced against the late apologist Ravi Zacharias, imploding his organization and his legacy, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries appears to remain in operation…with little to no transparency. We dug around for some answers. Plus, a Knoxville-area ministry is restoring dignity and hope to its homeless population. We’ll take a look. And, the latest from a recent survey on the state of church compensation. We’ll have details. But first, the founder of Barnabas Aid has been forced to resign over allegations of financial mismanagement and a toxic work culture. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh.  We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Kim Roberts, Tony Mator, Marci Seither, Adelle Banks, Catherine Pepinster, and Christina Darnell. Until next time, may God bless you. MANUSCRIPT FIRST SEGMENT Warren: Hello everybody. I’m Warren Smith, coming to you from Charlotte, North Carolina. Natasha: And I’m Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado. And we’d like to welcome you to the MinistryWatch podcast. Warren: On today’s program, three years after sexual abuse allegations surfaced against the late apologist Ravi Zacharias, imploding his organization and his legacy, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries appears to remain in operation…with little to no transparency. We dug around for some answers. Plus, a Knoxville-area ministry is restoring dignity and hope to its homeless population. We’ll take a look. And, the latest from a recent survey on the state of church compensation. We’ll have details. Natasha: But first, the founder of Barnabas Aid has been forced to resign over allegations of financial mismanagement and a toxic work culture. Warren: Patrick Sookhdeo, his wife Rosemarie, and two members of the United Kingdom board of trustees—Caroline Kerslake and Prasad Phillips—were suspended from leadership until an independent investigation can be completed. While the U.S. affiliate and fundraising arm of Barnabas Aid, also known as Barnabas Fund, has a different CEO than the U.K. affiliate, the Sookhdeos, Kerslake, and Phillips are all listed as board members of Barnabas Aid in the U.S.A. Natasha: What happened?? Warren: Following whistleblower complaints earlier this year, some members of the board began raising questions about the management of the charity and charity funds. The statement Barnabas Aid said it appears the Sookhdeos were among those who failed to comply with the internal policies and created a “toxic work environment” that undermined the staff’s feeling that they could voice their concerns. “In addition, we have also identified significant payments made to the founders (and to others close to them—including some Board Members/Trustees) which cannot be readily explained. Ample opportunity has been provided to the founders to explain those transactions but sadly they have refused to cooperate,” the Barnabas Aid statement added. Natasha: This wasn’t the first time that the founders have been in the news Warren: Barnabas Founder Patrick Sookhdeo was found guilty in 2015 for one count of sexual assault and two counts of witness intimidation, charges Sookhdeo vehemently denies. A few years later, in 2020, a UK employment tribunal found Sookhdeo guilty of condemning and shunning the ministry’s head of research, Dr. Martin Parsons. Barnabas said in a statement that at the time of the allegations, Sookhdeo was not working for Barnabas, but was working in its offices while carrying out his role for the Oxford Centre for Religion and Public Life. In the MinistryWatch database, Barnabas Aid (USA) receives a four-star financial efficiency rating, an A transparency grade, and the highest donor confidence score of 100.

A luxury 24-acre estate with six houses and 22 garage parking spaces may not meet most people’s definition of a parsonage. But the tax code says otherwise—this one Texas home is turning heads after being listed on realtor.com for $15 million. Located in a Houston suburb, the property is the home of Bishop I.V. Hilliard and his wife, Pastor Bridget Hilliard. It belongs to New Light Church (also known as New Light Christian Center Church), a multi-site, Word of Faith megachurch that the Hilliards founded in 1984.    The listing says the compound “boasts a lake stocked with trophy bass, a magazine worthy primary estate, five junior estates, a resort style pool with cabanas,” an office complex with a fitness center, and an owners’ suite with a 25-foot high ceiling, and its own private exercise room and jacuzzi tub. Other features include two wet bars, a banquet hall, a home theater, a hair salon, and a commercial-grade kitchen. Appraised in 2023 at $7,966,887, the property would have incurred an estimated $152,168 in annual property taxes. But thanks to the parsonage tax exemption, the Hilliards and their church enjoy a tax liability most homeowners in their 28,000-member congregation can only dream of: zero. According to The Christian Post, in 2021 an attorney representing New Light Church told the Houston Chronicle the tax exemption was justified because the estate is used as a minister’s retreat and conference center.  However, this is not the first time the Hilliards, who teach a form of the so-called Prosperity Gospel, have made headlines for their lavish lifestyle and use of church donations.  In 2013, Bishop Hilliard, who has an estimated net worth of $22 million, sparked criticism with a fundraiser mailing that asked supporters to donate $52 each to replace the blades of his helicopter. "I heard that still small voice of the Holy Spirit say 'tell your special partners who have special transportation needs' and their obedience will release favor for their needs and desires,” the letter read. "I believe with all my heart this message is for you and your doing something today is the key to releasing this favor on your transportation situation! Send me the transportation need or dream you have by completing the online petition when you sow a $52.00 transportation favor seed believing in 52 days or 52 weeks you will experience breakthrough favor!"  Hilliard defended the letter, stressing the importance of the helicopter for serving the church’s six campuses and denying he had made any “bogus claims, prophecies or guarantees promising the donor will receive their dream mode of transportation in 52 days or 52 weeks.” But one vocal critic, Pastor Saiko Woods of the now defunct His Word, His Way Fellowship Church in Sugar Land, Texas, argued, “I’ve seen this man’s home. I’ve seen where he lives. You can’t tell me you don’t have $50,000 you can pay out of your own pocket.” As to why the parsonage has been put on the market, no statement has been released. New Light Church Parsonage / Realtor.com In 2018, Bishop Hilliard passed the mantle of senior pastor to his daughter Irishea Hilliard, who lives across the street from him in a home valued at $4.7 million. Another daughter, Tiny Hilliard Egan, lives across the street in a house valued at about $4.15 million. A third daughter, Kermeshea Hilliard Evans, is estranged from the family and wrote a memoir, Going to Church to Catch Hell, about growing up in the ministry. According to New Light’s website, Bishop Hilliard and his wife continue to be active in the church, pursuing “passion projects” including Hilliard Faith University, Love City and B’s Girls. The bishop’s Facebook page indicates that he continues to do frequent speaking engagements, such as the recent Adventurous Faith seminar. New Light Church was once named by Church Report magazine as one of America’s 50 most influential churches.

Many of our neighbors have succumbed to what the French philosopher Jacques Ellul called “the political illusion.” What is it, and what can we do to resist it? Here are a couple of resources mentioned on today’s episode: Ellul explained the “political illusion” in his 1965 book L’illusion politique. It was published in English in 1967. To read my interview with Christopher Watkin, click here.) According to a recent Gallup survey, a majority of Americans now believe abortion should be legal in all or most circumstances. That finding represents a significant shift in attitude in just the past few years. To read about the pastor’s conference hosted by Turning Point USA, click on our report here. To read a written version of this commentary, click here. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. Until next time, may God bless you!

On today’s program, Gateway Church in Dallas, Texas, continues to struggle in the aftermath of sexual abuse allegations against its founder Robert Morris—including NEW sexual abuse allegations, the cancellation of its annual Gateway conference, and more. We’ll look at the latest. And, Megan Basham is under fire from fellow journalists for naming an alleged sexual assault victim in her new book ‘Shepherds for Sale.’ We’ll have details. Plus, the largest seminaries in the U.S. But first, election season is in full swing, and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk is urging pastors to mobilize their churches for Trump. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh.  We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Tony Mator, Kim Roberts, Zach Rivas, Mallory Challis, Scott Barkley,  Chloë-Arizona Fodor, Jeffrey Walton, Brittany Smith, and Christina Darnell. Special thanks to Baptist Press, Baptist News Global, and the Institute on Religion & Democracy for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.   MANUSCRIPT   FIRST SEGMENT Warren: Hello everybody. I’m Warren Smith, coming to you from Charlotte, North Carolina. Natasha:  And I’m Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado. And we’d like to welcome you to the MinistryWatch podcast. Warren: On today’s program, Gateway Church in Dallas, Texas, continues to struggle in the aftermath of sexual abuse allegations against its founder Robert Morris—including NEW sexual abuse allegations, the cancellation of its annual Gateway conference, and more. We’ll look at the latest. And, Megan Basham is under fire from fellow journalists for naming an alleged sexual assault victim in her new book ‘Shepherds for Sale.’ We’ll have details. Plus, the largest seminaries in the U-S. Natasha: But first, election season is in full swing, and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk is urging pastors to mobilize their churches for Trump. Warren: Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk pulled no punches in his keynote address to pastors gathered for a July 31-Aug. 2 political training conference in a Dallas, Texas, suburb. His message: Pastors need to vote for Donald Trump, they need to become activists, and they need to mobilize their congregations to do likewise. “There is only one way to save this country,” Kirk said. “Awake the beast that is the American church.” A lot of online commentators said that Kirk had a lot of fun with the unintended irony of Kirk’s statement. They noted that in Scripture, the word “beast” is often used to describe Satan, while the preferred metaphors for describing the church in Scripture is not beast, but Bride of Christ or Body of Christ. Natasha: That wasn’t the only irony of this event. Warren: While the “Igniting the Remnant Pastors” conference was ostensibly nonpartisan the event provided a receptive audience for Kirk’s overt endorsement of Trump. Natasha: Tell us more about Kirk’s talk, I heard he talked tough and hurled some insults. Warren: He said, “The American church is a joke in this country,” he said. “It is a church filled with cowards and people that call themselves pastors but are really motivational speakers. Natasha: Next, the latest in the ongoing saga of Gateway Church Warren: Gateway Church, the Dallas-area megachurch started by Robert Morris, is facing additional sexual abuse allegations in addition to those revealed against Morris earlier this summer that led to his resignation. Last week, a lawsuit was filed in Tarrant County, Texas, alleging a 17-year-old member of the Gateway Church youth group sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl also attending the church youth group. The alleged assault took place in 2017. Natasha: The lawsuit names Gabriel Reece Snyder, now 25,

COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP) – It happens with a couch or mattress. It happens with two chairs facing each other across a table. While refugees’ initial days and months in America can be complex and filled with paperwork and immigration meetings, churches have learned there are direct, simple ways to meet needs. Not long after it began six years ago, Living Hope Church in Columbus was helping deliver donated furniture on behalf of a group of non-profit organizations. It became apparent that the items were going toward a growing migrant population consisting of those from the Middle East and Central America. The white, middle-class community that Aaron Taylor, Living Hope’s pastor, had grown up in was rapidly changing. Members of Living Hope Church in Columbus, Ohio, load items for its ministry center / Photo by Aaron Taylor “There are pockets of these communities around with people moving in from all over the world, and it opened our eyes,” he said. The need grew, and soon the church took it on as its own. It began with a question to their non-profit partners: What would they like to see available to the refugee population? The answer was a furniture store. “About five months after that, we opened a ministry center next to our church that now serves 12-20 families a month on average,” Taylor said. “It stays stocked through approximately 12 non- or for-profit groups, so it doesn’t cost the church.” Sometimes new mattresses arrive by way of a nonprofit donation. Coffeemakers and toasters get to the shelves through Walmart overstock. Recliners and other furniture items with small scratches or dents that prevent them from making the showroom floor are more than suitable for clients of the Living Hope ministry center. “When we step in, in many cases we’re able to provide the large items for, say, a two-bedroom apartment,” Taylor said. “It changes the game for families.” One essential need has brought major benefits to children trying to acclimate to American schools. “We’ve provided children with beds and have heard back from school counselors that the child came to their school and had low grades and was always tired. They would have a lot of emotions to process still,” Taylor said. “They’ll get a bed of their own and six or eight weeks later the counselors will say it isn’t the same kid. Their entire demeanor has shifted.” Further east, about 20 members of Pillar Church in Dumfries, Va., help with the English as a Second Language classes that benefit primarily those who have fled Afghanistan since the Taliban retook the country in 2021. Pastor Colby Garman said the benefits go both ways. “The conversations with our people have brought another level of understanding [for the situation],” he said. “It puts a face on what is a challenging problem and what it’s like to build a new life in America.” His wife Annie taught ESL for years in public schools and brought those concepts to the English immersion classes. The people his church serves are not believers, but the time together has led to discussions about faith. “Many of them had family members who were killed and they’re trying to figure out what’s next. It has become an open door for the Gospel,” said Garman, whose church lies just south of Washington, D.C., and is located near Marine Corps Base Quantico, where more than 3,700 Afghan refugees were received and cared for when the Taliban took over. In Columbus, Taylor has seen similar benefits to his church stepping forward to help. “It’s been good for us,” he said. “I remember [former SBC president] J.D. Greear asking years ago that if our church closed its doors, would the community know we were gone? This has been a good way for us to establish a presence for our church that is meeting a tangible need. “It has also led us to become a multilingual, multiethnic church. We have people from seven nations. Our worship services are two languages.

Today I welcome back to the program Al Fadi, with the Strategic Resource Group, an organization that funds projects to reach unreached people groups in the Middle East and North Africa, the so-called MENA region of the world. Al has been on the program before to discuss a bible translation project for Hejazi speaking people. This is an Arabic language spoken by more than 11 million people. More than three years ago, I started reporting on a new initiative by the Strategic Resource Group that – if successful – could have a dramatic impact on the way we do Bible translation. They are using a so-called Translation Service Provider – an organization that normally translates contracts, treaties, movie scripts, books, and all manner of other material – to translate the Bible. I wrote my first article about this process in August of 2021. But one aspect of this project that is different from those undertaken by traditional Bible translation organizations is the remarkable degree of transparency SRG has shown to me in the process. Since this project began, I have been checking in with them every six months to get updates, and to hear lessons learned.  And that’s what we are doing today. The very fact that Al and SRG are allowing me to have these regular check-ins is dramatically different from the way the Bible translation industry normally operates.  It’s an industry cloaked in secrecy and layers of bureaucracy.  In fact, for the past four years or so, I’ve written about 50 articles on the industry and its practices, and I’ll have links to some of those articles in today’s show notes.  I encourage you to check them out:  https://ministrywatch.com/bible-translations/ I’d like to remind you that MinistryWatch is donor supported.  We take no money from ministries.  All of our content is free.  No paywall.  That means we couldn’t do what we do without faithful donors.  You guys are the real heroes of this enterprise.  So if you’d like to join that heroic group by pitching in to make sure that MinistryWatch remains a viable endeavor, you can go to MinistryWatch.com and hit the “donate” button at the top of the page. And if you donate in the month of August, we’ll send you, as our thank you, a digital subscription to WORLD Magazine. This subscription has a $50 value, but is yours with a donation of any size to MinistryWatch. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh.   We get database, technical, and editorial support from Stephen DuBarry, Christina Darnell, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today’s program, new life breathed into a lawsuit against Dave Ramsey’s company. A former employee claims he was fired for not sharing Ramsey’s religious beliefs on how to handle the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ll take a look at the court’s latest ruling in the case. And, a Southern Baptist pastor in Florida faces a minimum sentence of life in prison without parole over harrowing child abuse allegations—but new state laws also mean the death penalty is on the table. Also, Andrew Wommack announces plans to pass the baton to new leadership at Charis Bible College in Colorado. But first, Gordon College was denied forgiveness on $7 million in COVID-era Paycheck Protection Program loans. It submitted an appeal, but in July a judge dismissed most of the college’s claims. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh.  We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Kim Roberts, Bob Smietana, Yonat Shimron, Kathryn Post, Tony Mator, Jessica Eturralde, Shannon Cuthrell, and Brittany Smith. Until next time, may God bless you.   FIRST SEGMENT Warren: Hello everybody. I’m Warren Smith, coming to you from Charlotte, North Carolina. Natasha: And I’m Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado. And we’d like to welcome you to the MinistryWatch podcast. Warren: On today’s program, new life breathed into a lawsuit against Dave Ramsey’s company. A former employee claims he was fired for not sharing Ramsey’s religious beliefs on how to handle the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ll take a look at the court’s latest ruling in the case. And, a Southern Baptist pastor in Florida faces a minimum sentence of life in prison without parole over harrowing child abuse allegations—but new state laws also mean the death penalty is on the table. Also, Andrew Wommack announces plans to pass the baton to new leadership at Charis Bible College in Colorado. Natasha: But first, Gordon College was denied forgiveness on $7 million in COVID-era Paycheck Protection Program loans. It submitted an appeal, but in July a judge dismissed most of the college’s claims. Warren: Like many colleges and organizations in 2020, Gordon College received COVID relief funds as part of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). But when the Massachusetts-based college applied for forgiveness, the Small Business Administration (SBA) denied its request on the $7 million loan. Gordon then sued the SBA for violating its free exercise of religion, equal protection, and due process rights, along with violations of the Administrative Procedure Act. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell in the District of Columbia dismissed most of the claims brought by Gordon College in a memorandum opinion issued in late July. In her opinion, Howell said the SBA had sought follow-up documentation from Gordon College because the “employee count” was “indicative of concern.” Natasha: How so? Warren: In April 2020, Gordon submitted its PPP application with 495.67 employees listed. It reached this number using the full-time equivalent method, which counts part-time employees as a fraction of an employee. A spokesperson for the college told MinistryWatch. “Gordon College followed the procedures given at the time of the loan application and most importantly, used these funds completely in the manner in which they were presented by the SBA: to avoid layoffs of employees and continue to provide them with a paycheck even though the College was forced to shut down operations for months in 2020,” Natasha: So what’s the issue? Warren: The court recited that in later documents, the school “self-reported” 639 employees at the Massachusetts campus, which exceeded the maximum count of 500 employees allowed under the program. Gordon College told MinistryWatch that when it applied for loan forgiveness in July 2021,

Former video editor claims he was fired for failing to follow Ramsey's faith-based beliefs on how to deal with COVID-19 pandemic. By Bob Smietana for Religion News Service A federal appeals court has ruled in favor of a former employee who claimed Ramsey Solutions, the company run by Christian personal finance guru Dave Ramsey, discriminated against him during the COVID-19 pandemic. Brad Amos, a former video editor at the Franklin, Tennessee-based company, sued Ramsey Solutions in 2021, saying he was fired for not agreeing with Ramsey’s faith-based views about how to respond to the pandemic. During the pandemic, Dave Ramsey downplayed the risk of COVID-19, referred to those who wear masks as “wusses,” barred employees from working at home and said his company would be guided by faith not fear. Amos’ attorneys alleged that at the Lampo Group — which does business as Ramsey Solutions — wearing a mask or social distancing was seen as “against the will of God,” and employees were required to agree with Ramsey’s beliefs about the pandemic. Attorneys for Amos also claimed that his faith, including Amos’ belief in the so-called Golden Rule — doing unto others as you would have them do unto you — required him to mask, social distance and comply with other CDC recommendations during the pandemic. His insistence on doing so, Amos alleged, led to his firing. “Amos says that his termination was based on his failure to submit to Lampo’s religious practices and his expression of his own religious beliefs with regard to COVID measures. These facts form the basis for Amos’s religious-discrimination claims,” according to a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth District. Amos’ attorney also claimed that Ramsey Solutions had committed fraud by allegedly lying to him about the “cult-like” atmosphere at the company. In December, a U.S. District Court had dismissed both the discrimination and fraud claims before they went to trial, saying Amos had failed to show he was discriminated against. In the lower court ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Eli Richardson wrote that “it is not enough that a plaintiff’s sincerely held religious beliefs do not align with the religious beliefs that underlie the employment policy (requirement) that the plaintiff was terminated for non- complying with. Instead, the plaintiff needs to have alleged a religious belief that conflicts with an employment requirement,” Richardson wrote. On Thursday (Aug. 8), the Sixth Circuit ruled that the district court had erred in dismissing Amos’ discrimination claim. The court ruled that federal law protects employees from discrimination based on “religious non-conformity” — also known as reverse discrimination, or requiring an employee to follow a religious belief or practice. The Sixth Circuit Court also ruled that a belief in the Golden Rule qualified as a religious claim and was protected from discrimination. During the appeal, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a friend of the court brief, urging the appeals court to reverse the lower court ruling — saying Amos had made a plausible claim for religious discrimination. The EEOC also argued that the term “reverse religious discrimination” was not accurate and said the term “religious non-conformity” was more accurate in cases like the one involving Amos. “As with all other types of religious-discrimination claims, the employer is accused of discriminating against the employee on the basis of religion,” the EEOC wrote. “Here, however, it is the employer’s religion that is the focus. But that doesn’t make the discrimination ‘reverse.'” “We’re happy with the result and look forward to the opportunity to continue fighting for our client,” Jonathan Street, an attorney for Amos, told RNS in a statement. The case will now return to the lower district court for trial. Ramsey Solutions did not respond to a request for comment.