The Huntington Beach City Council voted 4–2–1 on May 16 for its mayor to select who opens its meetings with an invocation, instead of an interfaith council that has done so for decades.
The council’s new conservative majority, in February, requested the city investigate changing the policy claiming a group known as the Greater Huntington Beach Interfaith Council—which consists of religious leaders of various faiths—had been giving politicized speeches.
“In very recent years, the Greater Huntington Beach Interfaith Council, which the city has utilized for invocations has become highly political, and invocations at times have become political soapboxing opportunities,” said Mayor Pro Tem Gracey Van Der Mark during the February meeting.
Van Der Mark told The Epoch Times what sparked the change was an invocation given in a December meeting by Interfaith Council Rabbi Stephen Einstein—a founding member—some found offensive.
“The invocation that Rabbi Einstein presented was so divisive that everybody was really upset,” she said.
The rabbi mentioned some religious and minority groups had recently been the victim of hate crimes before leading everyone in prayer.
“Hatred has become normalized between individuals of differing political viewpoints and even expressed in acts of violence against Jews, Muslims, Asians, blacks, Latinx’s, the LGBTQ+ community and the list goes on,” Einstein said opening the Dec. 6 meeting.
He prayed that “we all join a prayer for God’s blessing upon those trusted with leadership … may they constantly seek fair and equal justice for all.”
During his invocation, some residents attending the meeting could be heard yelling “what about Christians?”
Van Der Mark said Einstein’s invocation seemed inappropriate on what was supposed to be a conflict-free transition of councilors. The date in question was the inaugural meeting for the council’s new conservative four-member majority after winning the seats in the November 2022 election.
“The day that we were all sworn in was supposed to be a peaceful day of celebration,” she said.
Since the February meeting, the mayor has been selecting chaplains of Christian faith from the police and fire department to offer the prayers while a new policy was established.
“It would have been better to inform [us] without making it a motion and accusing the prayer givers of giving political messages,” she told The Epoch Times.
She said she doesn’t believe any of the interfaith council have given political messages, but wishes city leaders would have “just called to say, ‘hey, we’re making a change in the way we do things.’”
Prior to the vote, Councilwoman Natalie Moser—who offered the idea of a moment of silence instead of a formal invocation during the meeting but was shot down—echoed some who spoke during public comment that there should be more inclusivity for religious leaders from all faiths, which was the case, she said, when the Interfaith Council made selections.
“I have found great value in hearing from the tapestry of voices from various faiths during our past invocations. We glean so much from those voices,” she said.
She said her idea to remove invocations altogether for a moment of silence received pushback from some in the community, who called her “morally bankrupt.” Those people, she said, misunderstood her intention.
“The reality is I am trying to make sure that we create a constitutionally sound policy that is inclusive of the entire community, including those who are religious, those who are not religious, and importantly, not just one particular religion or denomination,” she said.
But Pano Frousiakis, a member of the city’s public works commission and seeking to run for a seat on the city council in 2024, said he felt Moser’s idea, instead, targeted people of faith.
“Is it really about inclusivity?” he said. “It seems to be a guise of neutrality, that’s really covering a form of discrimination which is the discrimination against our people of faith.”
Another resident echoed similar concerns.
“A moment of silence is not, I repeat, not a moral equivalent to an invocation. To even suggest such a thing is either intended to insult the purpose of an invocation or pure ignorance,” said Huntington Beach resident Cari Swan.
She said an invocation is “a petition to God for divine assistance and guidance.”
Most of the 30 speakers providing public comment, supported an invocation over a moment of silence.
Some argued for more variety.
“I’m Buddhist, I don’t believe in a God. But I respect your right to have those prayers … You have shown zero respect for the religions of all the other people that may be in this room, Hindu, Buddhist, or Muslim … You treat us like we’re nothing,” a female resident said.
A Japanese American who said she is the daughter of a World War II veteran said the city should follow the direction of the United States’ forefathers.
“I agree with Ben Franklin, who said the first part of our business and government should be prayer and that we need this so please make sure that stays here,” she said. “It’s pretty awful out there … The last thing we need to lose in this country is God.”
Before the vote, Councilwoman Rhonda Bolton echoed Moser’s concerns over the mayor selecting a speaker, saying such should represent a multitude of faiths.
“Whoever makes the choice, it cannot be someone from the same religious tradition all the time because then I think that puts us in jeopardy of legal [action],” she said.
But Mayor Tony Strickland said he would be open to choosing a variety of speakers.
“I will work to make sure we get different faces here,” he said.
