Prayer Was Just Voted Down in Doña Ana County

The Doña Ana Board of County Commissioners voted 4–1 to rescind a 2018 resolution that allowed prayer at the start of their meetings. With this vote, they chose to end a practice that has stood for centuries in America—and one that the U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed as both lawful and deeply rooted in our history.

Their reasoning? That prayer could be perceived as exclusive… even harmful. Some even implied that public prayer might be inherently offensive to certain groups. It’s hard to imagine a more backwards view of religious freedom.

But as troubling as this vote is, it’s not entirely surprising. When people of faith retreat from the public square, these are the results. And when pastors and churches are hesitant to speak about government, policy, and the role of biblical engagement in civic life, the consequences reach far beyond the pulpit.

This moment is a reminder: silence is never neutral.

At Christian Action Network, our mission is to serve and support New Mexico’s pastors—to equip church leaders with the tools, clarity, and encouragement they need to guide their congregations in engaging the culture with wisdom and truth. We know that when pastors lead with conviction, congregations follow. And when the church steps into its role as salt and light, not only in private but in public, things change.

If prayer can be pushed out of a county meeting, it can be pushed out of everywhere else, even culture itself. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Open Scripture. Address the issues. Lead your people to understand that being a citizen of heaven doesn’t cancel out our responsibilities as citizens of earth. In fact, it strengthens them.

Let this be a moment that wakes us up—not one that shuts us down.