Iowa city council meeting erupts after former member opens meeting with satanic prayer and 'Hail Satan'

A city council meeting in Ottumwa, Iowa, became contentious on Tuesday after a former member opened the session with a prayer invoking the "dark father" and ending with a "Hail Satan" declaration.

The invocation, led by Matt Dalbey, a member of The Satanic Temple of Iowa, sparked an immediate reaction from New Life Center pastor Rick Bick, who interrupted the meeting to express his opposition. "Let's just reverse this curse that was put on our city," Bick said. "That ending with 'Hail Satan' or 'Hail dark god,' that's not welcome here."

Ottumwa Mayor Benjamin Foote subsequently requested 30 seconds of silence to allow for prayer or reflection and overruled City Council member Cara Galloway's efforts to move forward with the meeting. Foote later told Fox News Digital that the invocation did not reflect the values of the community, stating, "This is not a reflection of our community. As the Mayor of my hometown in Iowa, I know the people of Ottumwa, and the invocation read at the start of Tuesday's meeting does not represent the faith or the values of families who call this city home."

Following the meeting, Galloway expressed concerns about the potential for conflicts arising from the invocation policy, which was adopted by the city in January. The policy aims to acknowledge and respect the diversity of religious denominations and faiths represented in the city, but Galloway argued that it could lead to financial liabilities and create a slippery slope for responding to opposing viewpoints.

In a private message, Dalbey explained that the prayer is commonly used by The Satanic Temple of Iowa but does not reflect a belief in a satanic deity. City Council member Bill Hoffman defended Dalbey's right to say what he believes, stating that he left the room during the invocation but returned for the Pledge of Allegiance.