So I’ve received several emails like this one, below, over the last two months. I got this one yesterday…
"Dear Mr. Bergosh,
Hello again,
I am Celebrant
XXXXX XXXXXX of XXXX XXXXXXXXX Rd. Pensacola XXXXX, and I am still interested
in offering the Invocation for upcoming Escambia County School District
meetings.
I, as a XXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXX, would be requesting you the board members make the best decisions
you can with the education, knowledge and experience you have attained, without
prejudice. I ask this so that even we of
minority philosophic thinking might still, with equality, be included in all
governmental considerations for invocations per the Supreme Court of the United
States.
Would you
consider me for an Invocation please?
Sincerely,
Cel XXXXX XXXXXX
XXXXXXXXX XX XXXX XXXXXXX
850-XXX-XXXX"
And as I think about the last eight years on the board,
and all the folks that have come on my behalf and brought a pre-meeting prayer,
I began reflecting on who it was that I invited and why.
First of all, it is always someone that I know. I’ve invited my pastor, the senior pastor at
Hillcrest Baptist Church, a man that is an incredible inspiration to me. He is amazing and his sermons are LEGENDARY! He also has a connection to our schools, as
Hillcrest is the home church for many
district employees and Hillcrest steps up
and supports many area sports teams and booster associations, and they also run
intramural basketball and baseball leagues that benefit many public school
students.
And then I think of the district volunteers that I have
brought, people that are invested in our schools, including one man I’ve
brought twice who was the state of Florida school volunteer of the year for
2013!
And I’ve given the invocation myself, and I’ve asked
selected staff members to bring the invocations as well.
A behavior coach that deals with elementary school
students with behavior issues brought the prayer for me once.
And my bible study leader has brought invocations on my
behalf-he and his wife have students in our elementary schools.
Everyone I have ever brought on my behalf to pray at our
meeting has been either a personal friend or someone intimately familiar with
and active in our schools, or both.
And they all have a strong, verifiable connection with
our schools. This is important.
So when I get unsolicited “offers” requesting that I
“please pick me” to bring an invocation, I am cautious.
After all, we’ve had some really pushy, arrogant folks
DEMAND that we bring them; to prove we’re not BIGOTS recently.
More troubling, I’ve seen online threats the essence of
which is “Tell them you’re going to come bring a Christian prayer, then do a
satanic prayer instead, LOL”
I don’t want someone to rob this board of their
opportunity to legitimately pray on important issues before a meeting. I don’t want this board to be subjected to
somebody’s prank. I won’t have that when
it is my turn to bring a guest. It is
simply too important and I won’t allow it, because, given this is such an
important component of our meeting, designed and included for the benefit of
the legislative body as we consider very important issues for action, I’m just
not inclined to bring in folks right of the street who I don’t know and who
have ZERO interest or connection to our schools.
The attorney for the board has spoken, saying our
practice is legal but also that we should consider those of other faiths as our
guests. I’ve taken that to heart and I
will bring a non-Christian as a guest soon.
But I’m not going to bring anyone that demands I bring
them, or that threatens the dignity and solemn nature of this portion of our
meetings—just so such an individual can make a headline. Or just to prove I’m not a bigot to someone
that could care less about our district or the students we serve.
And I’ll never support going to a moment of silence
instead—the only way I accept that is if I’m voted down by my peers or a court
forces this. Neither of these scenarios
is likely.
