Ottumwa Meeting Opens With Invocation Ending ‘Hail Satan’

An invocation delivered by former Ottumwa City Council member Matt Dalbey opened the council’s October 6 meeting and ended with the words “Hail Satan,” prompting a pastor’s objection and a brief silence called by Mayor Benjamin Foote. The invocation was allowed under a city policy adopted in January that permits residents to offer prayers or reflections representing different faiths, belief systems or no religious belief. Dalbey, an Ottumwa resident and member of the Satanic Temple of Iowa, gave the invocation before the Pledge of Allegiance. He told the Ottumwa Courier that the prayer is used by the group and has nothing to do with belief in a satanic deity. The group describes itself as nontheistic, according to reports. After the invocation, New Life Center pastor Rick Bick objected, calling it a curse on the city and demanding that it be reversed. Council member Cara Galloway said Bick should wait for the public-comment portion of the meeting. Bick insisted the matter needed immediate attention, and Foote called for about 30 seconds of silence before the council continued. The city said it does not endorse invocations and does not know their contents in advance.