This letter is designed to be signed by a pastor on behalf of a member of the pastor’s church.
DATE
PERSON'S NAME
ORGANIZATION NAME
ADDRESS
CITY, STATE, ZIP
Re: (NAME OF STUDENT)
Dear (NAME) :
This letter is to verify that (NAME OF STUDENT) is a Seventh-day Adventist, and as such, observes the Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday as a day of rest and worship. HE/SHE attends the (NAME OF YOUR CHURCH) Seventh-day Adventist Church here in (NAME OF TOWN). (STUDENT'S NAME) believes that it is a violation of (HIS/HER) religious beliefs to participate in (CLASSES/TESTS) on the Sabbath. Accordingly, I am writing to request that an alternative date be found so that (STUDENT NAME) can fully participate in (HIS/HER) academic program, without discrimination.
(STUDENT NAME), like millions of other Seventh-day Adventists around the world, is unable to perform regular, secular employment activities during the 24 hour period from sunset, Friday, to sunset on Saturday. (HE/SHE) considers this time as holy.
No doubt, your institution is fully committed to the principles of equal opportunity and non-discrimination, and wants to insure that all students can succeed without having to forego their religious faith as a condition of maintaining their academic standing. The institution already provides a religious accommodation for the majoritarian religious practice of observing Sunday as a rest day by refraining from scheduling tests on Sundays. It remains to provide alternative test dates for those minority students who observe Saturday as a religious day.
The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the equal protection of the laws. Your institutional policies concerning non-discrimination are based on this legal requirement of equality. Depriving a student of equal educational opportunity on account of their religious observance would violate both your own policies and the student’s constitutional right.
Thank you in advance for giving (STUDENT’S NAME) request due consideration. I am confident that a suitable accommodation can be worked out to everyone’s satisfaction.
Sincerely,
Pastor’s Name
cc: Alan J. Reinach, Esq.
Executive Director and General Counsel
Church State Council