TEHACHAPI, Calif. -- Tehachapi leaders are being challenged over prayers before city council meetings. A national organization wants the prayers to stop, saying the invocations do not meet requirements to be legal.

Council members say the prayer issue was taken up in closed session at the September 8 meeting, and will be addressed again behind closed doors at the next meeting in two weeks.

The city got a letter on September 1 from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, saying a Tehachapi citizen had contacted them. "I am writing on behalf of a concerned Tehachapi resident and taxpayer and other California members of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) to urge you to discontinue the practice of scheduling Tehachapi City Council meetings with prayers, and specifically that unconstitutionally reference Christianity and invoke Jesus Christ," reads the letter.

Councilmember Stan Beckham said he had voiced similar concerns a few weeks before, but he doesn't know who contacted this group. He figures it could be someone who watched the council meetings on line.

But, he had already worried after seeing an article about a similar challenge from the American Civil Liberties Union against the City of Lancaster.

"They're challenging the invocations," Beckham said. "We do the same thing, we've been doing it since March."

FFRF said they had reviewed Tehachapi council meetings since March on the Website, and they contend all the prayers are sectarian. "Of the seven prayers given this year all by Christian clergy, five of them ended 'in Jesus' name' while two ended in a variation thereof ending with the words "In Your Son's name' or 'In Your name,'" reads their letter.

The group said these prayers do not meet the "narrow exception of constitutionally permissible government-sponsored prayer laid out by the Supreme Court." The organization said the Court only allows non-sectarian or non-denominational prayers.

Councilmember Ed Grimes said he thinks the prayers have been appropriate. "My feeling was we're not hurting anything. We're not trying to be disrespectful, our invitation to pray at the meetings have been open to every religion possible."

Some Tehachapi residents contacted on Wednesday said they agree with the council's actions. "I don't see any problem with having a prayer before any kind of meeting of city or state government," said Bob Miller. His wife MaryAnn adds, "As long as they're not promoting any particular denomination."

Resident Karen Mackiewitz has challenge for the group that's complaining, "The groups that are opposed to it, I'd like to have them point out in the constitution where it says that's not allowed. It says freedom of religion, not freedom from religion."

The group, FFRF said they think the prayers -- as they've been given -- inappropriately alienate some residents, "which turn non-believers and non-Christians into political outsiders of their own community and government." The organization urged the city to discontinue the practice, and they asked for a written reply about the what the city will do to "remedy this constitutional violation."

Grimes said it's a shame the city now faces this controversy. "I wish it were a non-issue," Grimes said. "But some people want to make it an issue."

Beckham said he's worried about the city being hit with a lawsuit. "I believe we should look at this from a very prospective basis, and say maybe just a moment of silence."