Moody Bible Institute lifts ban on tobacco and alcohol use by employees
The Moody Bible Institute will no longer require employees to refrain from alcohol and tobacco consumption, a dramatic policy change affecting 600 workers in its radio, publishing and educational divisions.
“Moody’s leadership wants to require no more and no less of employees than what Scripture requires of believers,” Christine Gorz, vice president of Marketing and Communications at Moody Bible Institute, wrote in a statement to The Christian Post.
“Employees of Moody are expected to adhere to all biblical absolutes, but for behaviors that Scripture does not expressly prohibit, Moody leaves these matters to the employee’s biblically-informed conscience,” she added.
The policy has been in place 127 years and Gorz is quick to say the change “applies only to employees, not students, and employees are not permitted to partake of alcohol or tobacco while on the job or while in the presence of students.”
According to a 2007 study, an overwhelming majority of Protestant pastors and lay people agree that Scripture indicates people should never get drunk, while only less than a third say it forbids drinking overall. Historically, this issue has divided American Christians, going back to the days of Prohibition.
Moody’s policy change aims “to reflect a high-trust environment that emphasizes values, not rules,” according to the statement.
Moody Bible Institute owns 36 radio stations across the country and has campuses in Illinois, Michigan, and Washington State. Popular Moody Publishers authors include Gary Chapman, Jerry B. Jenkins and Nancy Leigh DeMoss.