'Hail Satan' Erupts at Iowa City Council Meeting as Pastor Demands 'Curse' Be Reversed

An Iowa Satanic prayer controversy has erupted after a former councillor ended a city council invocation with 'Hail Satan', prompting a local pastor to demand that officials reverse what he called a curse on the city.

The confrontation unfolded during the Ottumwa City Council meeting on Tuesday, 6 October, after Matt Dalbey delivered an invocation permitted under a policy adopted by the council in January. The incident has since triggered public backlash and renewed scrutiny of the city's approach to religious expression.

Mayor Benjamin Foote has confirmed that officials are considering whether the invocation policy needs changing, although no formal amendment or vote has been scheduled.

Matt Dalbey's 'Hail Satan' Prayer Sparks Outcry

Dalbey, an Ottumwa resident and former city councillor, opened his invocation by addressing a 'Dear Dark Father' and urging those present to challenge established doctrines and arbitrary authority.

He concluded: 'It is done. Hail Satan.'

The words, confirmed in the meeting recording, immediately attracted attention and prompted an objection from New Life Center pastor Rick Bick. Dalbey's invocation was delivered under a policy designed to accommodate a range of religious and non-religious beliefs.

Dalbey is a member of The Satanic Temple of Iowa, a non-theistic organisation that does not worship a literal Satan. He told local media that the invocation was used by the organisation but was not an expression of belief in a satanic deity.

Ottumwa's policy allows approved members of the public to deliver opening invocations. It prohibits speakers from disparaging other religions or using the opportunity to recruit people to a faith, and requests that invocations remain within two minutes.

Pastor Rick Bick Demands 'Curse' Reversal

Following the invocation, Bick approached the podium and called for officials to reverse what he considered a curse on the city.

'Let's just reverse that curse that was just put on our city,' Bick said, objecting to the prayer's conclusion.

Council member Cara Galloway argued that the invocation had already taken place and that the meeting should proceed according to its agenda. Foote subsequently called for a 30-second moment of silence before moving on to the next business.

The exchange brought the dispute beyond the invocation itself, raising questions about how public officials should respond when religious expression conflicts with the beliefs of residents.

Cara Galloway's Warning Returns to the Spotlight

Galloway was the only councillor to vote against the invocation policy when it was adopted on 20 January 2026. She had warned that allowing people with different belief systems to deliver prayers could lead to a Satanic invocation.

The controversy has brought that warning back into focus. The policy was intended to accommodate a broad range of viewpoints, but the resulting backlash has exposed the challenge of maintaining that approach when some residents object strongly to a particular belief system.

City officials have stressed that the policy applies across religions and belief systems rather than allowing the council to favour one faith over another.

Ottumwa Reviews Invocation Policy After Backlash

City Administrator Philip Rath said Dalbey's invocation did not violate the policy as written. The rules do not allow officials to screen the content of prayers in advance, and the city has emphasised that it cannot discriminate against speakers simply because of their beliefs.

The mayor said the city was exploring ways to retain opening invocations while safeguarding freedom of speech and religion. As of 9 October, the policy remained unchanged, and officials had not set a date to consider amendments.

Dalbey was reportedly scheduled to deliver another invocation at the council's 3 November meeting. Whether that appearance proceeds remains a developing question as officials consider their options.

For Ottumwa, the controversy has become a test of how a public body can accommodate competing beliefs without appearing to endorse one religious viewpoint over another.