Craven commissioners don't have a prayer

Craven County commissioners didn’t start their Monday meeting with a prayer.

It may not have been the first time for the board, but it was unusual. It is expected to now be the norm on the advice of the county’s lawyer, Jim Hicks.

In January, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal of an American Civil Liberties Union suit against the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners. That let stand a 2011 ruling by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that a government group’s prayer policy allowing mostly Christian prayers violates the U.S. Constitution.

Hicks, who represents Craven, Pamlico, and Jones counties and six area cities, said the ACLU has already contacted him regarding policies of two of his clients.

“Most elected officials are very, very frustrated,” Hicks said of the court ruling.

However, he did say the lower court decision is not new law. The Supreme Court has allowed prayer using only the name of God as the deity, not Jesus, which would be only for the Christian religion.

Chairman Lee K. Allen said he spoke with a former Forsyth County commissioner chairman who told him that county’s policy of letting local clergy deliver the prayer did present “some irregularities” different from Craven’s policy of letting a commissioner lead the prayer.

Allen said when he noted the difference, the commissioner said, “‘Don’t do it. You’ll lose.’” He told Allen that during the course of the suit, an ACLU lawyer told him that if the ACLU lost the Forsyth suit that they were 99 more counties they could sue, referring to North Carolina’s 100 counties.

“I don’t feel comfortable setting Craven County up to fight a case that’s just been lost,” Allen said.

Forsyth must pay its legal bills as well as the ACLU bills, although the citizens’ group N.C. Partnership for Religious Liberty will pick up that tab of about $200,000. 

“It’s amazing to me that by virtue of being elected to this office, my speech is being restricted,” Commissioner Jeff Taylor said.

He said he has wrestled with the legal code versus his moral code and was at first angry. But, with a sermon at his church and Bible study, the challenge “has actually helped me to become a better Christian.”

Resident Tyker Gonzales asked whether commissioners could come early, meet outside before a meeting begins, and pray, but was advised that if four or more attend, it is considered a meeting and subject to the same laws.

Commissioner Johnnie Sampson, whose wife is a reverend, often offers the prayer at meetings.

“I don’t want to put the county in jeopardy,” he said. “I thought of how one lady was able to take prayer out of the schools.”

But to convince the Supreme Court that citizens don’t approve, Sampson said, “It would have to be a community effort. But if you take Jesus out of the situation, we’re all going to be in trouble.”

Forsyth County reportedly has decided to reinstate prayer that does not mention Jesus.

Craven commissioners did not take a vote on the issue. They’re praying about it.