Contact: Dean R. Owen, World Vision, 253-815-2103, 253-906-8645 cell, dowen@worldvision.org

MEDIA ADVISORY, Jan. 25, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- World Vision applauds today's action by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, upholding our legally protected practice of hiring people who share the same faith.

The court rejected a petition to re-hear a case involving three former employees terminated in 2007 because, after several years working for the Christian humanitarian organization, they no longer agreed with World Vision U.S.'s statement of faith. The court ruled 2-1 last August that World Vision qualifies as a religious organization under the 1964 Civil Rights Act, thereby, upholding the terminations. We hope today's action by the court settles this dispute.

Our Christian faith has been the foundation of our work since the organization was established in 1950, and our hiring policy is vital to the integrity of our mission to serve the poor as followers of Jesus Christ.

Regardless of any further legal proceedings, World Vision will continue to vigorously defend our organization's freedom to hire employees who share our faith, as do other religious organizations, whether Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, or Christian.