The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has struck down a North Carolina county’s practice of opening its meetings with overwhelmingly Christian prayers.

In a 10-5 ruling issued July 14, the appeals court’s majority found the Rowan County Commissioners’ invocations to be unconstitutional because the commissioners gave the prayers themselves and directed audience members to participate.  From 2007-13, 97 percent of the prayers were Christian.

It will be the “Year of the Bible” for the second year in a row in Kentucky.

Republican Gov. Matt Bevin in December signed a proclamation recognizing 2017 as the “Year of the Bible.”

“Whereas, 2017 marks the 2nd year Kentucky has led the nation in celebrating the Bible’s significant impact on Kentucky and American institutions and culture by leaders in each county taking shifts to read through the entire Bible in Kentucky’s Bible Reading Marathon beginning January 1, 2017,” the proclamation begins.

A federal appeals court announced Nov. 1 that it will reconsider a ruling that allowed the Rowan County, N.C., Board of Commissioners to open its meetings with public prayers, most of which were Christian in nature.

A federal appeals court in Sep­tem­ber upheld a North Carolina county’s controversial policy on government-sponsored prayer.

In Rowan County, N.C., members of the county board of commissioners open their meetings by leading the board and assembled members of the public in prayer.