US Judge Denies Adventist Church’s Injunction Request in Maryland Hiring Exemption Case

A U.S. federal judge has denied the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s request for a preliminary injunction that would have allowed it to limit hiring to members who fully adhere to church doctrine, including dismissing LGBTQ employees. According to the report, the church had challenged Maryland’s 2023 “core mission” exemption, which restricts religious hiring standards to roles directly tied to a faith group’s mission.

Judge Theodore Chuang ruled on June 18 that most of the church’s claims were unlikely to succeed. He allowed three First Amendment-based arguments to proceed, so the case remains partially open. The report notes that the decision reflects growing legal tension between religious freedom and civil rights protections in employment.

The church’s hiring policy and the Maryland exemption are central to the dispute, and the court has not ruled on the merits of the three remaining arguments in the material provided. The ruling addresses only the request for a preliminary injunction.

Separately, a church-funded film will be shown in a public movie theater during a General Conference Session for the first time. *The Hopeful* (2024), a historical drama about the early Adventist Church, will screen multiple times daily at MX Cinemas, across from the session venue in St. Louis, beginning July 3.

The film is backed by Hope Channel International, the General Conference, the Adventist Church in Australia, and private donors. It has previously premiered in more than 1,100 theaters worldwide. The report notes that Adventists have historically used film for evangelism, but that hesitations rooted in Ellen G. White’s counsel on theaters have made cinematic outreach controversial. The screening was approved by General Conference leadership.

Source: Read the original report