As reported by the Associated Press.

President Barack Obama will ask for a legal review of the White House faith-based office before deciding whether to allow federally funded religious groups to hire only their own.

Obama planned to sign an executive order on Thursday forming the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, the White House said.

But the order also directs White House staff and lawyers and the Justice Department to develop a policy that would guide how government-supported programs can hire staff, according to a religious leader with knowledge of the plans. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the details have not been released.

The deliberate approach is unlikely to please either conservative religious leaders, who worry they’ll need to compromise their religious beliefs to participate, or liberal religious and secular leaders, who quickly want to undo Bush administration hiring policies.

The president will also appoint Joshua DuBois, a 26-year-old Pentecostal minister who headed religious outreach for Obama’s Senate office and later his campaign, to lead the partnerships office and name 25 religious and secular leaders to a new advisory board.

During his presidential campaign, Obama said he wanted to expand White House faith-based efforts begun under Bush. But while he endorsed Bush’s initiative to give religious groups more access to federal funding, he also promised to make some changes to the office.

Obama’s advisers want to be certain tax dollars sent to the faith-based social service groups are used for secular purposes, such as feeding the hungry or housing the homeless, and not for religious evangelism. The administration doesn’t want to be perceived as managing the groups yet does want transparency and accountability.

Obama pledged during the campaign to allow taxpayer-funded religious institutions to hire and fire based on religion — but only for the activities run on private funding.

One question is whether the faith-based office will issue grants under the Bush rules while the hiring policy is worked out.