NEWPORT BEACH : Council to Review Prayer Procedure

The City Council is expected at its meeting tonight to discuss whether to eliminate the traditional opening prayer at its meetings.

The council is faced with dwindling interest from local church representatives who typically lead the invocations, and it may decide to scrap the tradition in favor of a few moments of silence.

Councilman Clarence J. Turner requested the review of the current procedure to determine if it needs to be changed to better fit the times.

Currently, the city clerk is responsible for contacting the churches and arranging for a church leader to give the opening prayer.

In a report to the council, the clerk reported that clergy are usually off on Mondays, after weekend services, and are unable to participate.

The report states that because the schedule is arranged at the start of the year, some church heads are unable to plan for the council meetings so far in advance.