“Lord, we know our time on earth is short.”
That’s commissioner Phil Kuyer offering the invocation at the last Ottawa County board meeting.
“In Jesus name we pray.”
And in the future board chair John Teeples wants to make this standard operating procedure. One of the commissioners saying the pre meeting prayer.
“This is an effort to avoid problems. We avoid all legal risk if we simply make this commissioner led prayer.”
The commission ran into legal problems last year when Grand Haven pastor Jared Cramer sued the board, claiming he was not given an opportunity to lead the invocation because he supports LGBTQ rights. The county paid him 100 thousand dollars to settle, although commissioner Sylvia Rhodea insists the accusation was false.
“With the Cramer lawsuit things feel through the cracks. There was nothing intentional on the part of anyone here on this board. “
If the board limits the pre meeting prayer to commissioners only, Commissioner Allision Miedema says Pastors will miss the opportunity
“Come in and offer invocation on behalf of the county they felt it was a value.”
Commissioner Rhodea says they can still pray during public comment periods
“Use that 3 minutes to come and pray for the community.”
