The largest student-led youth organization in U.S. agriculture barred the Fellowship of Christian Farmers International (FCFI) from participating in the 2026 National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis later this month, solely for its religion. Christian legal organization Liberty Counsel filed a demand letter on FCFI’s behalf.
The National Future Farmers of America (FFA) organization denied FCFI exhibit space, stating that FFA policy bars groups with “religious affiliations” from eligibility to exhibit. For decades prior to 2018, the FCFI, a non-profit Christian ministry that seeks to connect faith and agriculture, had been exhibiting at the FFA’s national expo. But around 2018, it was “disinvited” for not aligning with FFA’s “diversity, equity, and inclusion” expected goals. Although FCFI is permitted to exhibit at certain FFA events, it has been barred from any National Expo events.
A 2020 statement from Molly Ball, the National FFA Foundation president, boasts of the organization’s tolerance for all groups.
“No matter … what race, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic background, or agricultural background you have, there is a place for you in the FFA,” she said.
FCFI sought to be an exhibitor again and applied for the expo scheduled to be held in Indiana’s capital Oct. 21-24. Once again, the National FFA denied their application based on its religious affiliation law. In its response, FFA cited the expo’s “Terms and Conditions” policy, which states that “organizations with political or religious affiliations or advocacy are not eligible to exhibit at the Expo.” Furthermore, FFA said its policy was “to be neutral to all political or religious affiliations” and must follow the Establishment Clause to Prohibit religious activity. FFA, however, has permitted three religious schools to display at the National Expo.
In their demand letter, Liberty Counsel called the rule “unlawful blanket prohibition on religion” that violates the federal Title II and Indiana anti-discrimination laws.
“An exclusion expressly based on religion is not neutral treatment, and purporting to exclude multiple religious organizations does not cure the discrimination against each of them,” the letter says.
The letter emphasizes that the FCFI “does not ask FFA to sponsor worship, compel student participation, or endorse its faith.”
Liberty Counsel is asking the National FFA to approve FCFI’s application for the 2026 convention and provide exhibit space and ordinary exhibitor access and rescind the prohibition on religion and religious attire that includes jewelry like cross necklaces and cross lapel pins.
Mat Staver, Liberty Counsel’s founder and chairman, says the National FFA cannot exclude a group merely because of its religious nature because they have opened a public accommodation forum to outside organizations.
“The Establishment Clause does not require exclusion of religion, rather it prohibits favoring one religion over another. Exclusion is not neutrality, it is discriminatory. Neutrality is treating religious organizations equally to all other organizations,” Staver said, adding, “Religious discrimination has no place at a public accommodation event that purports to prepare young people through agricultural education for leadership and success.”
