On behalf of Charlotte Atheists & Agnostics, I composed and sent a formal letter to the Rowan County Board of Commissioners addressing the board’s practice of opening public meetings with sectarian prayers — and making the case for a government that serves citizens of every belief.
Why It Mattered
County meetings are official public business. When they open with sectarian prayer, residents outside that tradition start every civic interaction as outsiders. The letter laid out that concern plainly and respectfully, and asked the board to adopt an inclusive practice.
What the Letter Called For
Constitutional principle
Government meetings should serve every citizen — the letter made the case for keeping sectarian practice out of official business.
Inclusive government
Public spaces belong to residents of every belief and none — inclusivity was the heart of the request.
Respectful discourse
A formal, measured letter — advocacy done professionally, on the record, and in good faith.
The Outcome
The board’s practice continued — and the concerns the letter raised were later vindicated when a federal court blocked Rowan County’s sectarian prayer practice. Our letter was an early, public, on-the-record part of that conversation.
On the Record
Real links from the project — see the work for yourself.
Advocacy, Professionally Done
Writing that letter meant representing an organization with care: getting the facts right, striking a respectful tone, and standing behind every word. It’s the same discipline I apply to client communications and documentation today.
