The Invocation
On October 6, a city council meeting in Ottumwa, Iowa, opened with an invocation. It ended with the words “Hail Satan.” Former council member Matt Dalbey delivered the prayer. Specifically, he is a resident affiliated with the Satanic Temple of Iowa. Dalbey addressed “dear dark father.” Then he spoke of embracing the “Luciferian impulse to eat of the tree of knowledge.” Subsequently, he concluded, “It is done. Hail Satan.” As a result, CBN News’s Raj Nair and Billy Hallowell covered it. Consequently, the clip spread quickly and drew strong reactions.
Immediate Pushback
After the Pledge of Allegiance, Pastor Rick Bick of New Life Center stepped to the podium. He interrupted the proceedings. Bick told the council the city must reject the words just spoken. “Let’s just reverse this curse that was put on our city. That ‘Hail Satan’ is not welcome here,” he said. Furthermore, Bick argued the issue could not wait for the regular public comment period. In addition, he said someone had placed a curse on the community.
Council Response
Council member Cara Galloway objected to the interruption. She said Bick should wait for the designated citizen comment time. In response, Bick replied that the issue required immediate attention. Mayor Benjamin Foote then called for a 30-second moment of silence. He allowed those present to reflect. However, Galloway preferred to move forward with the agenda.
The Invocation Policy
In January, the city adopted an invocation policy. It permits any resident to open meetings with a prayer or statement for guidance and blessing. Residents must contact the mayor in advance. Consequently, Dalbey followed that policy. This was his first invocation under the new rules. He later stated he belongs to the Satanic Temple. Moreover, the group is non-theistic. Yet the language he used explicitly invoked Satan.
Freedom of Religion
America protects freedom of religion. Citizens may hold and express a wide range of beliefs. That freedom, however, does not erase the nation’s historical foundations.
Historical Foundations
The Declaration of Independence drew from the writings of the Old and New Testaments. Likewise, the Constitution’s moral framework did the same. In addition, early U.S. laws and institutions also drew from Scripture. They did not draw from the modern occult writings of Anton LaVey. Similarly, they did not draw from the practices of the Satanic Temple. Public meetings have long opened with invocations. These openings reflect recognition of higher guidance. When speakers frame that guidance as an appeal to Satan, many Americans view it as a direct rejection of the spiritual heritage that shaped the country.
The Broader Question
Pastor Bick’s stand reflected a clear conviction. Spiritual words spoken in an official setting carry weight. Moreover, communities rooted in biblical truth have both the right and the responsibility to reject what opposes that truth. The video of the meeting continues to circulate. As a result, the episode raises a practical question for other cities. How do invocation policies operate when participants choose language that many residents understand as opposition to the God of Scripture?
