National Day of Prayer divides faiths

MUNCIE, Ind. -- A Christian-centered prayer service at the Muncie City Hall excluding other faiths has prompted plans for a rival interfaith gathering for the same day and place.\nUnitarian Universalist minister Thomas Perchlik said he regrets that the May 1 observation of the National Day of Prayer will be a split event.\n"We preferred a single event, but people are very particular about their theological events," he said.\nPerchlik and others planned the interfaith prayer service after Pastor William Keller, one of the organizers of Muncie's observance, said he could not imagine Jewish and Muslim prayers being offered at the ceremony.\n"We're praying in the name of the Father Creator, Jesus and the Holy Spirit," Keller said. "They have other gods to pray to."\nIn response, Perchlik and other members of the Muncie Area Ministers Association decided to hold a National Day of Prayer interfaith event the evening of May 1 at Muncie's city hall.\nCongregations participating include the Unitarian Universalist Church, Temple Beth-El and the Muncie Islamic Center as well as Lutheran, Quaker and Baptist churches.\n"We're all part of this country and this city, and all of us are unified in our desire for this country and city to be blessed," Perchlik said.\nMuncie Mayor Dan Canan -- who is scheduled to speak at both events -- said it "would have been nice" to have one prayer event. He said neither service is a city-sponsored event.\nIn 1988, President Reagan signed a law establishing the National Day of Prayer as the first Thursday in May.\nAccording to a brochure prepared by the National Day of Prayer Task Force, more than 2 million people nationwide typically attend National Day of Prayer observances.\nThe ceremonies are held at city halls in part because prayers during the observance are offered on behalf of government leaders.\nMuncie's observance is set for noon on May 1. The interfaith service will be at 5 p.m.\nKeller, who is president of the Delaware County Evangelistic Association, calls the noon prayer service "a Christian gathering."\n"We were not comfortable with that -- praying to Allah at the same time we're praying to Jesus -- and they understood that," he said. "We couldn't see how we could diversify that."\nPerchlik said he and others had five meetings with Keller, but it wasn't until the later meetings that it became clear that he did not want to include non-Christian prayers in the program.\n"He's always willing to say Jews and Muslims are welcome, but when it got down to the details of how that would work, it wouldn't fit his vision," Perchlik said.