WEST OLIVE, Mich. — A Grand Haven church leader, who said he wasn't allowed to give the invocation at Ottawa County Board of Commissioners meetings, got his chance.
On Tuesday, Reverend Jared Cramer delivered his first pre-meeting prayer to the board.
During Cramer’s prayer, he touched on a number of topics, including mental health and the LGBTQ+ community.
"I pray for those who have been [and] continue to be impacted by decisions of this board. I pray for families and households that are struggling because of reduced resources from the health department, especially those who will be more food insecure. Those who will struggle to get the mental health support they need,” he said.
Cramer filed a religious discrimination lawsuit back in October. He claims the board limited who could give the invocation. His lawsuit went on to say the only ones who have delivered it have the same or similar religious views as the Ottawa County Chairperson Joe Moss.
The St. John Episcopal Church Grand Haven reverend openly supports the LGBTQ+ community. He was one of the many people involved in starting the first-ever Grand Haven Pride Festival.
READ MORE: Grand Haven reverend 'excited' to be a part of city's first Pride Fest
He did take a moment during his prayer to offer his support to the LGBTQ+ community.
"God, I pray for queer kids who have been told that they're broken and whose attempts to understand who they are have been maligned. I pray for queer adults who increasingly don't feel safe, much less welcome, walking on the street with their beloved," Cramer said.
Cramer sued, hoping to be added to the invocation rotation and see the county adopt a non-discrimination policy for the role.
He told FOX 17 he believes he has been added to the rotation, but only time will tell.
As Cramer delivered his two-minute prayer, directly in front of him was a sign displayed on Commissioner Roger Belknap's computer.
It read, "THE WAR ON CHILDREN . COM"
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"I was also very disappointed that one of the commissioners chose to post a sign in protest to my presence," Cramer told FOX 17.
Belknap, part of Ottawa Impact, spoke to reporters following the meeting about his sign.
He explained why he chose Tuesday to display his message in front of more than 1,000 viewers online and in person.
"I don't know, maybe because we had a minister that attended today that was a sponsor of that event," Belknap explained.
