Update: See which lawmakers have joined the caucus

LANSING, MI — State lawmakers are announcing the Michigan Legislative Prayer Caucus on Wednesday based on Judeo-Christian beliefs - a move that at least one law expert considers unconstitutional.

Rep. Ken Kurtz, R-Coldwater, said the group of representatives and senators is following the actions of Congress, which has had a prayer caucus since 2005.

The caucus is for “those who so desire that want to join together for prayer and encouragement for one another and on behalf of our state,” said Kurtz, who plans to chair the group. “We felt it was something that was very admirable and many districts respect that approach.”

Lawmakers plan to officially launch the caucus on Wednesday. Its declaration of establishment states it is "a bipartisan body of believers of Scriptural Truth, adhering to established Judeo-Christian principles and Religious Liberties that were widely practiced by the Founders of these United States of America and the state of Michigan."

It's that language that concerns Michigan State University law professor Frank Ravitch, who specializes in law and religion.

Ravitch contends it goes against Marsh V. Chambers, 1983 U.S. Supreme Court case that upheld legislative prayer.

“Certainly state legislators of faith have every right to practice their faith and even to unite together to privately express their faith or to do so in a non-sectarian, non-proselytizing way through legislative prayer. That’s what Marsh v. Chambers says,” Ravitch said. “The very way this group is set up, is sectarian and one of their goals is proselytizing, which is to promote prayer. Their very structure is sectarian, and their very purpose in a way is proselytizing, which seems to fly in the face of Marsh v. Chambers.”

The Congressional Prayer Caucus does not specify any religion in its purpose statement. The group's website states that it recognizes the importance of prayer by people of all faiths. The caucus also sponsors bills that support its mission, such as legislation last year to reaffirm the national motto, "In God We Trust."

The 105-member caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives includes seven of Michigan’s 15 representatives: Dave Camp, Hansen Clarke, Bill Huizenga, Thaddeus McCotter, MIke Rogers, Fred Upton and Tim Walberg.

“The statement of the U.S. Congressional Prayer Caucus walks a fine line, but at least it’s walking the fine line,” Ravitch said. “(The Michigan) statement leaps over the line by about 50 feet.”

Kurtz said that the Michigan Legislative Prayer Caucus would primarily involve lawmakers of Judeo-Christian beliefs, but that anyone may join.

“People are welcome to join us in prayer, we make no distinction,” he said, adding that the caucus “has nothing to do with legislation or partisanship.”

Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba, said he's been meeting with a group of lawmakers for prayer on Wednesday mornings for several years,

"We're not trying to exclude anybody," he said. "Our goal is to let folks know what we believe in."

Casperson said the group's focus is on gathering for prayer, and not pushing a legislative agenda as a caucus.

The caucus language doesn’t sit well with Dawud Walid, executive director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

“I’m a firm believer that our elected officials have the right to have their values guided by their sincerely held religious convictions, however I’m somewhat troubled by the exclusionary language within this caucus because it seems contradictory,” he said. “On the one hand it’s being articulated that it’s open to all, on the other hand there’s some exclusionary language in there.”

Michigan is the 12th state to form a prayer caucus based on the Congressional group, and there are eight other states working on establishing one, according to a news release.

Lt. Governor Brian Calley, and Sen. Judy Emmons, R-Sheridan are scheduled to attend Wednesday's event along with Kurtz, Casperson and other state lawmakers. Walberg also is slated to attend.

Email Melissa Anders at manders@mlive.com. Follow her on Twitter: @MelissaDAnders.