Police in Alberta have arrested a third pastor for holding church services in defiance of public health orders.
On Sunday, Calgary Police arrested Pastor Tim Stephens of Fairview Baptist Church for organizing an event that violated masking orders and attendance limits on religious services.
Video taken from the scene shows Pastor Stephens embracing his family and members of the congregation before entering a police vehicle.
“The government has obviously turned up the heat on churches and discouraged them from gathering together, but I don’t think they understand that Christians are committed to follow the lord Jesus Christ regardless of the consequences,” Pastor Stephens told Rebel News shortly before his arrest.
Earlier in May, Alberta Health Services (AHS) received a pre-emptive injunction to stop various gatherings and rallies that violate public health orders across the province.
In a joint statement, Calgary Police Services (CPS) and AHS cited the alleged violations of the injunction as the reason for the arrest. AHS claims they served Pastor Stephens a copy of the injunction last week.
“Once again, CPS acknowledges it is important to understand that law enforcement recognizes people’s desire to participate in faith-based gatherings as well as the right to protest. However, as we are still in a global pandemic, we all must comply with public health orders in order to ensure everyone’s safety and wellbeing,” the statement reads.
“AHS strongly encourages all Albertans to follow public health orders to help minimize spread and protect others.”
wo other pastors have been arrested in Alberta this year for holding church services. Pastors James Coates and Artur Pawlowski have also spent time in prison for holding religious services that violate Alberta’s strict limitations.
Arrested Calgary Pastor Says Church Has Had Zero COVID Cases
Churches in Alberta have been limited to a maximum occupancy of 15 people in order to slow the spread of the virus.
“Restricting the church to 15 people — which essentially restricts the church from gathering — is against the will of Christ and against the conscience of many who desire to worship the Lord of glory according to his word,” Stephens wrote in a blog post to the church’s websitefollowing the updated restrictions earlier this month. He added that he planned to continue to meet despite public safety laws.
The pastor also wrote in a blog post that his church has seen no COVID-19 cases.
“By God’s grace, our church has not had a single transmission of COVID19 in a year of gathering together weekly. We have encouraged those who are sick to stay home and for everyone to be proactive with their health to combat sicknesses we will inevitably encounter,” Stephens wrote.
In a video posted to YouTube on May 9, Stephens took a few minutes before his sermon to explain why his congregation gathers for worship even when it is outlawed by the governing authorities.
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