UK: Lords defeat gov’t over church staff

The Christian Institute: “The Government has lost in the House of Lords over its attempt in the Equality Bill to alter the law on who churches and other faith-based groups can employ. Peers voted 216 to 178 in favour of Lady O’Cathain’s amendment to keep the current law unchanged. The Government claimed its plans would simply ‘clarify’ the law. But churches said the plans would narrow important safeguards designed to help religious employers defend their ethos.”