TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Senate President James E. “Jim” King apologized to members of the legislative body April 28 after Florida Baptist Pastor Clayton Cloer invoked the name of Jesus in his prayer in the Senate chamber as guest chaplain of the day.
In the 526-word prayer, Cloer, pastor of First Baptist Church of Central Florida in Orlando, mentioned Jesus twice — in the context of thanking God for the religious freedom “to believe in Jesus Christ” and concluding the supplication “in the name of Jesus. Amen.”
As Sen. Debbie Wasserman Schultz rose to object to the prayer, King prevented her from speaking, and after the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance told the body, “To those of you who were offended or feel hurt, I personally apologize.”
Although Wasserman Schultz never spoke publicly to the matter, it was widely perceived that her objection — as a Jewish member of the Senate — related to Cloer’s use of Jesus in the prayer.
Indicating that offensive prayers were offered “three days in a row,” King said guest chaplains have been “told to make a nondenominational prayer. I recognize that some of our Jewish members take offense to some of the things that were included in the prayer.”
Cloer noted that the guidelines protect the compromise of conscience and that his conscience requires that he pray in Jesus’ name. He said that the prayer was corporate in nature, as stipulated by the guidelines, while also making his own petition in Jesus’ name.
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