Commissioner John Barber
SALISBURY, N.C.—Rowan County commissioners will meet Monday afternoon for the first time since a federal court ordered them to stop opening their meetings with sectarian prayers.
The ruling followed a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union.
The injunction forbids prayers specific to one religion. County Commission meetings often begin with a Christian invocation using the name of Jesus.
In its ruling, the Court prohibited the County from “knowingly and/or intentionally delivering or allowing to be delivered sectarian prayers” at official Board meetings.
When the meeting gets under way, many in Salisbury likely wont be focused on the county’s business, but will instead be waiting to see just how the commissioners will open their meeting.
The Rowan County Commission has had a long-held tradition of beginning each of its meetings with a Christian prayer.
However the ACLU filed suit on behalf of three county residents, saying the religion-specific prayers are unconstitutional and violate the civil rights of county residents. In March, a federal court judge ruled that practice had to stop for the time being.
It has been a heated controversy in Rowan County between those in favor of the Christian prayers and those opposed, with both the ACLU and the county commission saying the issue is about religious liberty.
But the commissioners may not be backing down. In a statement, county commissioner Jon Barber said:
“I will always pray in the name of Jesus…God will lead me through this persecution and I will be His instrument.”
Barber said he consulted with legal counsel, county officials and his pastor.
The commission hasn’t said how it plans to go ahead with Monday’s meeting, so at this point, county residents are waiting to see what will happen.
The meeting is set to start at 3 p.m.
