Affirming LGBTQ Rights—at a Cost

Eastern University’s (PA) membership in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities is on hold, following changes to Eastern’s stance on hiring LGBTQ employees. The university, located in Pennsylvania and affiliated the American Baptist Churches USA, used to prohibit the hiring or retention of LGBTQ employees. It reversed this policy in May, in consideration of the interdenominational campus community and its varied theological positions on these issues. The university added sexual orientation to its employment nondiscrimination policy at the same time, for the same reasons. This put the university at odds with the CCCU, which has said that hiring policies should align with “the historic Christian view of marriage.” (Religion News Service first reported this week that Eastern’s CCCU membership is on hiatus.)