Waves from shock prayer still rocking boats

More than a year ago, preacher Bradlee Dean of the You Can Run But You Can't Hide International ministry rocked Minnesota – and much of the nation – with a "non-denominational prayer" at the Minnesota state House that ended "in Jesus' name."

The prayer concluded this way: "I know this is a non-denominational prayer in this chamber, and it's not about the Baptists, and it's not about the Catholics alone or the Lutherans or the Wesleyans. Or the Presbyterians, the evangelicals, or any other denomination, but rather the head of the denomination and His name is Jesus. As every president up until 2008 has acknowledged. And we pray it. In Jesus' name."

It's still making waves.

Jake MacAuley, an associate of Dean's at the ministry, said he recently was at a town hall meeting where Republican state Rep. Bruce Anderson, who is running for the state Senate, was speaking. He asked Anderson why the GOP denounced Dean for the prayer.

He noted that the GOP members "claim the same morality and values [as] conservative Christians," so why did House Speaker Kurt Zellers, a Republican, publicly "denounce" Dean's prayer.

State GOP officials even went so far as to threaten College Republicans with blacklisting if they allowed Bradlee to speak on their campuses.

That others wanted answers, too, is demonstrated on video.

"There were people all over the state of Minnesota who were extremely upset about the leadership of their party's response, sending hundreds of emails denouncing Speaker Kurt Zellers, and his leadership, saying it did not represent them," MacAuley told WND.

At the meeting, Anderson said the GOP slammed Dean because it had been a longstanding House rule not to mention Jesus in prayers.

"There's a difference between God to the Jews and Jesus Christ to the Jews," he said.

Anderson said he recognizes Jesus but doesn't believe Jesus should be included in prayers on the House floor.

MacAuley called Zellers "a fraud to the conservative cause, unworthy to lead those of us who desire the values he claims to stand for."

"When it comes time to stand, he capitulates to the far left, anti-Christian ideology of liberal politicians," MacAuley said. " To make matters worse, those in his party went along with him in doing so. "

MacAuley said he believes that as with the federal government, states such as Minnesota "need a clean sweep of these sycophants who masquerade as Republican conservatives – and God willing true leadership will arise so we don't get sold another ticket on the socialist train conducted by RINOS who promise to travel slower than the liberals to destination socialism."

Dean's prayer, on May 20, 2011, was at the invitation of officials in the House. He called for America to unite under the Constitution, honor the sacrifice of veterans and return to the Founder of the country.

Within an hour, more than 2,000 media outlets reported the controversy over the prayer.

Dean had noted the references to God in the Minnesota statehouse.

"When I looked at that, I thought, what an awesome building, and those in this chamber are very privileged to be here, and I am honored to be here as well," he said.

He also cited a case in which a man who built a company sold it with the understanding he would continue to run it. But then he was fired, and the new owners were unable to keep it going.

"It sounds much like America today. America has the longest standing Constitution in the history of the world. And might I remind all of us here we have one Constitution, so let us come together and unite ourselves under its directives. Because we all know the problems didn't come into our country in 1776, they came when we wandered from the founder of the company and tried running it our own way. So let us pray," he said.

"Father God, I just thank you Father, for what you have bestowed upon us, and through the sacrifice of our brothers and our sisters, Father God, to ratify the Constitution of the United States, Father God, the fight, the bloodshed, and the sacrifice from World War 1 to World War 2, to Korea, Father, to Korea and Iwo Jima, and Vietnam and Father God Iraq, and Afghanistan. And I think about their sacrifice when I go, Father God, to Arlington Cemetery, and I think, That's the reason that I fight, that's the reason that I stand, that's the reason I encourage my brothers to do the same thing. They died so we could have the freedoms that we have today. And they ratified that Constitution, and sacrificed their all for it."

Then he ended with the reference to the "non-denominational prayer."

See the town hall meeting with Anderson: