Numerous protesters and supporters packed the hall and overflow room for Cypher’s words. Many bore signs denoting their affiliations, with some saying, “Hail Satan!” and others “One Nation Under God.” One man preached in the overflow room while the invocation continued on a projection screen. After the invocation, Commissioner Rebekah Curran, who handed out heart-shaped cookies with “John 3:16” stickers before the meeting, spoke out against the prayer.
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The invocation is a result of changed policies the board adopted at the beginning of the year. The change was the result of a lawsuit brought on by LGBTQ+ affirming pastor Jared Cramer, who claimed that Ottawa County Board Chair Joe Moss had ignored his two requests to do the invocation as a way to “endorse a particular set of religious beliefs and exclude a particular set of religious beliefs.”
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