It’s now a tradition that started with longtime commissioner George Patterson. Just as the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives begin sessions with a word of prayer, so do the Lawrence County Commissioners.

Patterson was commissioner for almost three decades and was a firm believer in the power of prayer, his son, Clerk of Courts Mike Patterson, recalls.

“He thought in a lot of our government they were taking out prayer. Dad thought it is our commission, we can do prayer,” Patterson said. “They were trying to cut out everything. We can do open prayer. He knew prayer worked.”

In the past that short prayer, always asking for wisdom in making decisions for the county and for protection for our armed services, was given by one of the commissioners. Each man would take a turn.

But since the first of the year with new commission president Les Boggs, local pastors have been invited to begin each Thursday morning session with a prayer of their own creation.

“I feel like as government leaders, we need to ask for direction,” Boggs said. “It is always good. Every single person needs all the prayers we can get.”

Boggs, who said the idea just came to him, stresses that it is voluntary on the clergy’s part to come to the meeting and that there is no monetary exchange.

“There are a lot of pastors who care about what is going on in government and we wanted to give them the opportunity to participate in the process,” he said.

Any member of the clergy who would like to give the opening prayer at commission, may contact Boggs.

“We are not asking certain denominations,” Boggs said. “Anyone would be welcome to say the prayer.”