A number of Santee residents have taken issue with the planned invocation opening the Wednesday City Council meeting, which will be given by "The Village Witch."

Each Santee council meeting is introduced with a non-sectarian invocation. Alan and Valera Childers, who run The Village Witch, a gathering place for pagans and those of other Earth-based persuasions, have been given their turn to speak, and Christians, especially, are not happy.

Mayor Randy Voepel said this e-mail is emblematic of dozens of messages that he has received on the subject:

"I am quite outraged that the city has decided that it is okay to ask a self-professing witch to do the invocation at the next council meeting. What are you thinking? You think it's cute somehow because it's close to Halloween? This is really offensive. Witchcraft is very openly contrary to Christianity."

Mayor Voepel made his position clear—that all speakers are welcome, as long as they don't push their religion or beliefs on anyone.

"We are one of the last cities that has a formal invocation. We ask the invokers to pray for our city to have good decision-making, concentrate our spirits, etc. We only ask that whoever is giving the invocation not make statements that their religion or way of life is the 'true' religion, etc.," wrote Voepel.

The city's position is that all those interested must be allowed to speak for the invocation to remain lawful.

"If the city picks and chooses which invokers can and cannot participate, we would have to stop our invocations for all, as we would be in violation of the case law as it stands," wrote Voepel.

According to the mayor, the invocations are about half-and-half Christian and non-Christian.

"We have also had Native American 'Medicine Men,' Islamic Imams, Buddhist Monks, Falong Gong, Rabbi's, Hindu's and a couple of religious persons that I couldn't even figure out what they were," Voepel said.

He is frustrated though. "The athiests cry foul when there is any invocation and upset people complain when the Imam speaks," he said.

Voepel ended his reply e-mail on a note of understanding.

"I personally am a practicing Christian who believes in separation of church and state. Some day, we Christians may be in the minority and need those very protections."

See the full e-mail exchange in the media box above. If you would like to speak your mind to Mayor Randy Voepel or the City Council, you may contact them here.