It wasn’t the prayer as much as an Oklahoma City pastor’s opening words that apparently troubled a fifth of the state House members.

The Rev. Scott Jones thanked his legislator, Rep. Al McAffrey, who asked him to pray to open Wednesday’s House session and acknowledged several in the gallery – "dear friends, my wonderful parents, and my loving partner and fiance, Michael.”

Jones is the pastor of the Cathedral of Hope — Oklahoma City.

When McAffrey, D-Oklahoma City, asked in the session’s closing minutes that Jones’ prayer be made part of the House journal, the chamber’s official record, Rep. John Wright objected and called for a vote.

Kern among critics

With 16 members having already left, the House voted 64-20 to include Jones’ prayer in the House journal.

Among those voting no was Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City, who a year ago called homosexuality the biggest threat facing the United States.

"I’m sure that because most of Scott’s congregation are gay people and Scott is gay himself, I’m sure that’s the reason why there were negative votes on it,” McCaffrey said.

Other than Jones introducing his male partner, McCaffrey said he couldn’t’ see how anyone could have a problem with his prayer.

"I don’t know what was controversial over that.”

Contacted later, Wright, R-Broken Arrow, said the practice of including a minister’s prayer in the House journal usually is reserved for Thursdays, the last workday for legislators.

"It has not been the practice to put every day’s prayer in the House journal,” he said.

He conceded he didn’t concur with comments made by Jones, who except for his opening comments, gave a generic prayer to a "holy and everliving God” and paraphrased the prophet Isaiah.

"I don’t know if it’s important to create an inflammatory issue out of something because that is not my intent,” he said.

Move motivated by ‘the faith’

Wright said his motion was "not meant to be derogatory nor divisive nor in any way trying to cause diminishment of someone’s sense of self-worth.”

"My actions were motivated by the faith, so now if you want to take it and cause the public to be inflamed about it, well, that’s at your feet,” Wright said.

McAffrey, the Legislature’s only openly gay member, said he’s never heard a legislator object to a prayer being made part of the House journal during his three years there.

"I’ve been around here long enough already that you just let things roll off your sleeve sometimes. If they want to show that they are against prayer by a minister, that’s their option.”