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County Creates Unusual Policy On Opening Prayers

By Howard M. Friedman

The Accomack County (VA) Board of Supervisors voted 5-4 on Wednesday to change its policy on the type of prayer that would open their meetings. The Salisbury (MD) Times explained the unusual arrangement that the Supervisors agreed upon as a way to hopefully insulate themselves from a costly lawsuit. Up until 2006, the Board's parliamentarian Rev. Donald Broad was its informal chaplain, opening each meeting with a prayer. Once he retired, the Board began to open meetings with a prayer said by one or another of its members. Apparently many of these were sectarian in nature, and this led some members to ask attorney Mark Taylor for advice. Taylor suggested several options, including having a prayer by a Board of Supervisors chaplain. Adapting that advice, the Supervisors voted that from now on, sessions would be opened by reading one of the prayers that had been offered previously by parliamentarian-chaplain Broad. One citizen attending the meeting complained about the decision, saying that the way to pray is from the heart, not off of a piece of paper.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on March 21, 2009 (boomark / email).