An Iowa mayor says he is reevaluating his city’s invocation policy after a satanic prayer delivered at a council meeting drew widespread attention.
The Ottumwa City Council began Tuesday’s meeting with an invocation from Matthew Dalbey, a former council member who is now affiliated with The Satanic Temple of Iowa.
Calling Satan his “dear dark father,” Dalbey prayed that the city would “embrace the Luciferian impulse to eat of the tree of knowledge,” invoking the Garden of Eden account in Genesis 3.
He also urged those present to “reason our solutions with agnosticism in all things” and to “stand firm against any and all arbitrary authority that threatens the personal sovereignty of one or all.”
“Hail Satan,” he concluded.
Pastor Rick Bick of New Life Center objected soon afterward, saying, “Let’s just reverse this curse that was put on our city. That ‘Hail Satan’ is not welcome here.”
After being told to wait until the citizen comment period, Bick responded, “It needs to be done now … that was a curse put on the city. Most of you know that, and we need to just stop and reverse it.” Mayor Benjamin Foote then called for 30 seconds of silence.
Ottumwa’s invocation policy allows approved volunteers from different religious traditions, belief systems or no faith background to sign up to deliver the opening invocation.
Foote said the policy is intended to protect constitutional freedoms.
“The reason our policy is outlined to allow any volunteer to sign up for an invocation is a First Amendment issue,” Foote told The Christian Post. “I do feel that we need to defend our freedom of religion and speech, as that allows us the ability to worship and speak without the government overseeing our lives.”
Foote, who identified himself as a born-again Christian, said he was “shocked” by the invocation while noting that his personal views do not necessarily represent the city.
“I am a born-again Christian, a prayer warrior and place all my faith in Jesus Christ,” he said. “Personally, I of course do not believe or condone worship to Satan or any other god, but to the one true God Almighty.”
Councilman Bill Hoffman Jr. said Dalbey’s invocation had been approved under city policy, but officials did not know beforehand what he planned to say.
Dalbey is scheduled to give another invocation on Nov. 3, though Foote said that appearance is now being reviewed.
“I am reviewing the policy and the invocation that was given, to show the areas that it does not meet with the City of Ottumwa Policy,” he said. “When those are documented, it is my intention to inform Mr. Dalbey that he is not allowed to give another invocation.”
Foote also said he is “reviewing our invocation policy to see if any revisions need to be made so we can continue to have prayer and safeguard against statements like what we saw on Tuesday.”
“My prayer is that this will be used by God to awaken the Church in Ottumwa and we will fight against the evil that is constantly trying to destroy us,” he said.
