Canadian Church Blocked From Services, Moves To Highway

Canadian church moves worship to highway after police stop parking lot service

By Anthony Murdoch

 A CA$5,000 fine given for holding in-person church services last weekend did not stop a Canadian church located in central Canada from defying COVID-19 restrictions again Sunday by holding a drive-in service. The service ultimately had to take place on the road due to police blocking access to the church’s parking lot.

Located just on the outskirts of Steinbach in the Canadian province of Manitoba, the Church of God Steinbach’s “illegal” drive-in church service turned into a media spectacle.

Despite the police blockade of the parking lot, the pastor of the church, Tobias Tissen, forged ahead with the planned service, but had to do so from the side of the highway with a loudspeaker in the back of a truck. He used the church’s Facebook page to give updates to his parishioners.

“The property is now being barricaded by police. We look forward to your support here shortly,” wrote Tissen on Facebook.

According to a local CBC media report, over 100 cars were lined up on the highway leading to the church.

Tissen said in the CBC report of the event that he and his congregants “were proud” to stand for religious freedom, and that “we’re all one human family and we’re made to come together to worship.”

“Being alone at home and watching a virtual service does not replace worship,” he added.

The Church of God Steinbach in advance had announced their planned Sunday service on Facebook, stating, “We will be holding a drive-in worship service tomorrow morning at 9:30, God willing. Yesterday evening, the Manitoba government deemed drive-in services to be illegal. This worship service will be held in protest of these tyrannical edicts.”

The Christian community promised their drive-in service would be “safe” and not like parking lots at huge stores. “Tomorrow morning we will have the safest parking lot in Manitoba. Keep your windows rolled up and stay in your vehicles.”

“This won’t be like the parking lots of Costco, Walmart, and the government-owned liquor stores where people freely mingle. Make no mistake, this is not about a virus.”

Sgt. Paul Manaigre of the local RCMP detachment said that people were given the option of either defying the law to enter the church parking lot for the service, combined with having to pay a hefty CA$1,296 fine, or leaving the property. At least one person was issued a fine after forging ahead to the parking lot.

“Violating public health orders is an offence. These orders are in place for everyone’s safety. All citizens of Manitoba are directed not to congregate, and those directions supersede all other acts at this time. Please stay safe and stay home,” said Manaigre as reported in the CBC.

The Steinbach area Church of God was slapped just last week with a CA$5,000 fine for defying public health orders after they held an in-person service with over 100 people in attendance.

The Steinbach area Church of God was slapped just last week with a CA$5,000 fine for defying public health orders after they held an in-person service with over 100 people in attendance.

Tissen himself received two fines of $1,296 each for attending a protest and attending his church service, saying to those who ticketed him that “something does not make sense” about him receiving tickets.

“Do you all realize that something doesn’t make sense here, that we’re talking about the constitution and you’re completely overriding it, do you realize that? Since when [do] mandates like these have more power and authority than the constitution that was written for the protection of Canadians?” asked Tissen in a videoposted to the YouTube page of Pastor Henry Hildebrandt of the Aylmer Church of God on November 23.

“I just hope that when you all leave, once this is said and done, that you think about that, you’re enforcing something that goes against the constitution, please think about it.”