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.