OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — A member of The Satanic Temple West Michigan is set to deliver the opening prayer at an Ottawa County Board of Commissioners meeting tonight.
The Satanic Temple West Michigan first announced its intentions of delivering the invocation of prayer during public comment at a board meeting in May of 2023.
"Ottawa County will become a stronghold for Satanists," said Bendr Bones of the Satanic Temple, during the public comment portion of the board meeting.
Bones, representing The Satanic Temple of West Michigan, talked for almost three minutes prior to the board's vote to make Ottawa County a "Constitutional County". Bones said the Satanic Temple wants to further support the resolution by participating in opening prayers at the board's meetings and showing off their "goat display" during holidays in Ottawa County.
Now, nearly a year later, Bones announced on social media that The Satanic Temple West Michigan was selected to deliver the invocation of prayer at the April 23 Ottawa County Board of Commissioners meeting.
The announcement was immediately met with backlash from Jacob Bonnema, Ottawa County Commissioner representing the 4th district. Bonnema shared a statement on his Facebook page calling it a "publicity stunt" and saying its intent is to "create a media circus." He went on to say in part:
"I am deeply troubled by this turn of events as it represents a significant distraction from the essential work we have been elected to carry out. The Satanic Temple's actions are a waste of our valuable time with their frivolous antics. If they choose to argue that a refusal to grant them the opportunity to deliver the invocation infringes upon their freedom of speech or religious liberty, I am prepared to face any potential legal challenge. They are not practicing religion, they are a group of unserious individuals resorting to cheap theatrics, and I am confident that the courts will see through their facade and publicity stunts."
You can read the entire statement from Bonnema, here.
A few days after Bonnema released his statement, The Satanic Temple West Michigan responded with a statement on their Facebook page, saying in part:
"Bonnema's refusal to tolerate even a single invocation from a minority religious perspective starkly exposes the hypocrisy at the heart of this matter. While readily endorsing weekly invocations aligned with his own beliefs, the Commissioner had a complete meltdown on Facebook when confronted with the experience members of minority religious groups routinely encounter during these sessions. As Commissioner Bonnema continues to learn about the importance of protecting all of his community members' constitutional rights, we trust that he will gain a deeper understanding of empathy and compassion for his neighbors, values intrinsic to The Satanic Temple's religious beliefs."
The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), a nonprofit that promotes the separation of church and state, also responded to Bonnema's statement by contacting the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners and urging them to "uphold the constitutional rights of all residents" by allowing The Satanic Temple to deliver the opening prayer.
FFRF said that Ottawa County Board Chair Joe Moss responded by acknowledging “board leadership prioritizes freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and religious freedom.”
“This controversy shows the divisiveness and folly of government bodies getting into the religion business,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “County commissioners should concentrate on terrestrial, not celestial, matters, and pray on their own time and dime. However, if they’re going to insist on injecting religion into governmental meetings, they must observe the law and permit all-comers.”
The invocation of prayer has been a controversial topic for months now after an Ottawa County Reverand from Grand Haven claimed religious discrimination by the board in a lawsuit filed in October of last year.
Reverand Jared Cramer, Rector of St. John's Episcopal Church in Grand Haven said that his church’s embrace of the LGBTQ+ community is the reason the board was not welcoming him and others.
"It's saying that every person who is a faith leader in Ottawa County, should have equal access to the time to pray to God in their own understanding of God, and to ask for God's involvement in what's going on in our county, particularly in the county governance level," said Cramer.
The board responded to the lawsuit by implementing a new policy surrounding the invitations for invocation of prayer. You can read that policy here.
The Satanic Temple West Michigan is still scheduled to deliver the invocation of prayer at the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, April 23 at 6:30 p.m.
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