Just a brief post to highlight a video from our ministry friend Tim Hurd of the BibleThumpingWingnut. He uploaded a video commending and giving visibility to Marty Iles, whom Hurd argues in many ways might be considered the ‘John MacArthur’of Australia. This is well worth a viewing.
As you go to church this morning, please keep Trinity Bible Chapel (TBC) in your prayers. The Waterloo-based Church has been locked out of their building since late April, despite the fact that their province has, as of two days ago, allowed churches to finally start having indoor church at capacity, so long as they socially distance and maintain two meters.
In TBC’s case, the judge on Friday overseeing their case has not yet released his decision over whether or not they can have access to their building again, reserving his decision and saying “I will release something when it is released.” This capriciously punitive decision means that the church will continue having outdoor services, under threat of further fines or even possible jail if they dare access their church before the judge gives the go-ahead.
In many ways, Trinity Bible Chapel has faced the most opposition and steepest price out of any church in North America for being open. GraceLife Church in Alberta had their pastor James Coates arrested and spend over a month in jail. Fairview Baptist Church also had their church building taken away, and their pastor Tim Stephens serve nearly 3 weeks in prison, but TBC has endured absolutely brutal, punishing, unending fines for being open.
They’re facing 50 million dollars in potential fines right now. 50 million. And while the large multi-million dollar fines might possibly be appealed if granted – some of their large fines like the $83,000 given for a single service cannot be waived, removed, or appealed. These crushing tickets are not just to the Church entity, but parishioner after parishioner is being handed crushing fines for daring to attend.
These are crippling numbers, but they have not bent the will of the church.
Thankfully, Pastor Jacob Reaume, the elders, and the congregants at Trinity have continued to serve faithfully in this trying time and have been a shining example in Canada and all throughout the world.
We honor them for it.
We thank God for them.
And we lift our voices in prayer.
Shelbyville Mills Baptist Church pastor Jonathan Sims announced on July 4th that his church was formally cutting ties with the Southern Baptist convention and leaving the denomination, the result of decades of rot that culminated with the gong-show that was the 2021 SBC General Assembly, and included the recent plagiarism scandal by current President Ed Litton and the fact that his wife tag teams sermons with him.
In the sermon he explains:
“I’m a fifth generation Southern Baptist, on both sides of my family. As far back as I can trace, they’ve all been Alabama, Southern Baptists, the Southern Baptist churches, all I’ve ever known. I was born again and baptised in a Southern Baptist Church. I was called to preach in a Southern Baptist Church. I received my master of divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, which at that time, was the largest Theological Seminary in the world. I’ve pastored three Southern Baptist churches as a God called preacher. I’ve never been a member of any other denominational church, but a Southern Baptist Church.
Sims notes that the SBC has been bearing bad fruit for decades, to the point that as a congregation they unanimously voted two years ago to defund the local, state and national conventions of the Southern Baptist Convention, going from tens of thousands of dollars in giving to only 100$ a year, while they considered their next move. It didn’t take long as he announced:
But with this year’s convention in Nashville a couple of weeks ago, the Southern Baptist Convention has reached a point that my conscience will no longer allow me to even be loosely affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, I believe it’s time for us to formally withdraw from the Southern Baptist Convention effectively. You did that two years ago, but I think it’s time for a formal statement. I’ve said it for years. If I were starting over today, I would be a Baptist. I am a baptist to the core of my bone marrow. I believe the historic Baptist doctrine, polity and practice are an authentic expression of historical Christianity. But if I were starting over today, I would not be a Southern Baptist.
Sims then goes on to list his grievances, which include:
Weak local churches that supported or tolerated decisional regeneration, along with national leaders like JD Greear, resulting in the church being flooded with lost people.
Weak churches being planted by NAMB with women pastors and bad theology. Lack of church discipline. The SBC affirming Resolution Nine and Critical Race Theory the first time around, and then the fact that they couldn’t repudiate it by name at this last convention.
The leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention fiercely resisted a resolution calling for the complete rejection of all abortion using the language of incrementalism, the last two SBC presidents saying that God whispers about sexual sins like homosexuality, the plagiarism scandal, and the role and leadership of Russell Moore.
This sermon is absolutely worth a listen. Watch below to Hear or download it here
The sixty-eight album in an ongoing series documenting faithful churches gathering for Sunday service in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
With some churches still not gathering in-person in these dark times and others being persecuted by the government for being open, even having the pastors arrested and churches having underground service, these are the congregations who are meeting faithfully at the command of Scripture (Heb. 10:25).
For previous albums:
Album #1 Album #2 Album #3 Album #4 Album #5 Album #6 Album #7 Album #8 Album #9 Album #10 Album #11 Album #12 Album #13
Album #14 Album #15 Album #16 Album#17 Album# 18 Album #19
Album #20 Album #21 Album #22 Album #23 Album #24 Album #25
Album #26 Album #27 Album #28 Album #29 Album #30 Album #31 Album #32 Album #33 Album #34 Album #35 Album #36 Album #37 Album #38 Album #39 Album #40 Album #41 Album #42 Album #43 Album #44 Album #45 Album #46 Album #47 Album #49 Album #50 Album #51 Album #52 Album #53 Album #54 Album #55 Album #56 Album #57 Album #58 Album #59 Album #60 Album #61 Album #62 Album #63 Album #64 Album #65 Album #66 Album #67
These churches are preaching outside, are back in their buildings having in-person services, are having drive-through services, or are meeting in secret. Some with masks and social distancing, others without.
All are being safe. All are being obedient to the scriptures. All are loving their neighbors.
After today, there are only two more posts in the series, as it ill end at 70 weeks.
The sixty-seventh album in an ongoing series documenting faithful churches gathering for Sunday service in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
With some churches still not gathering in-person in these dark times and others being persecuted by the government for being open, even having the pastors arrested and churches having underground service, these are the congregations who are meeting faithfully at the command of Scripture (Heb. 10:25).
For previous albums:
Album #1 Album #2 Album #3 Album #4 Album #5 Album #6 Album #7 Album #8 Album #9 Album #10 Album #11 Album #12 Album #13
Album #14 Album #15 Album #16 Album#17 Album# 18 Album #19
Album #20 Album #21 Album #22 Album #23 Album #24 Album #25
Album #26 Album #27 Album #28 Album #29 Album #30 Album #31 Album #32 Album #33 Album #34 Album #35 Album #36 Album #37 Album #38 Album #39 Album #40 Album #41 Album #42 Album #43 Album #44 Album #45 Album #46 Album #47 Album #49 Album #50 Album #51 Album #52 Album #53 Album #54 Album #55 Album #56 Album #57 Album #58 Album #59 Album #60 Album #61 Album #62 Album #63 Album #64 Album #65 Album #66
These churches are preaching outside, are back in their buildings having in-person services, are having drive-through services, or are meeting in secret. Some with masks and social distancing, others without.
All are being safe. All are being obedient to the scriptures. All are loving their neighbors.
This will be the third last post in this series, as we will end on 70 weeks.
The sixty-sixth album in an ongoing series documenting faithful churches gathering for Sunday service in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
With some churches still not gathering in-person in these dark times and others being persecuted by the government for being open, even having the pastors arrested and churches having underground service, these are the congregations who are meeting faithfully at the command of Scripture (Heb. 10:25).
For previous albums:
Album #1 Album #2 Album #3 Album #4 Album #5 Album #6 Album #7 Album #8 Album #9 Album #10 Album #11 Album #12 Album #13
Album #14 Album #15 Album #16 Album#17 Album# 18 Album #19
Album #20 Album #21 Album #22 Album #23 Album #24 Album #25
Album #26 Album #27 Album #28 Album #29 Album #30 Album #31 Album #32 Album #33 Album #34 Album #35 Album #36 Album #37 Album #38 Album #39 Album #40 Album #41 Album #42 Album #43 Album #44 Album #45 Album #46 Album #47 Album #49 Album #50 Album #51 Album #52 Album #53 Album #54 Album #55 Album #56 Album #57 Album #58 Album #59 Album #60 Album #61 Album #62 Album #63 Album #64 Album #65
These churches are preaching outside, are back in their buildings having in-person services, are having drive-through services, or are meeting in secret. Some with masks and social distancing, others without.
All are being safe. All are being obedient to the scriptures. All are loving their neighbors.
The underground church of GraceLife in Parkland County, Alberta, whose building was tyrannically and grotesquely shut down and fenced in by law enforcement and government agents on April 7th, 2021, whose pastor James Coates spent 35 days in jail, and who has been meeting in secret at undisclosed locations since the closure, will be allowed to re-enter their building by July 1st, according to authorities.
With the news that 70 percent of Albertans aged 12 and over have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, Premier Kenny made the announcement last week that the province would be reopening and more or less going back to normal, with a few restrictions still in place for wearing face masks, but no more capacity limits on churches.
No more bans on indoor social gatherings. No more limits for gyms, sports and fitness activities. No more capacity limits at restaurants, in retail, or for places of worship. No more advisories against non-essential travel.
At the time of the fencing in, Alberta Health Services said it would only take the fence down if the church would comply with the lockdown orders. The Church never did, and the fence will come down anyway.
With it no longer being illegal to gather at more than 15 percent capacity as of July 1, 2021, by all indications this coming week will be the last that the GraceLife congregation will meet in secret, and then be back in their own building the week after.
[Editor’s note: This is still not over. There is a rumour (from Pastor Coates himself) that authorities will likely bill the cost of erecting, maintaining, and dismantling the fencing to GraceLife Church. Pray for these faithful brethren.]
A crowd of over 200 people gathered outside the Calgary Remand Center on Saturday, holding up Canadian flags and “churches are essential” signs, protesting the continued imprisonment of Pastor Tim Stephens. The Fairview Baptist Church pastor was taken into custody a week ago after police helicopters discovered his church service, resulting in him being arrested and booked for defying the government’s lockdown order which prohibits churches from gathering at more than 15% capacity.
Earlier in the week, Alberta Premier Jason Kenny announced that the province would be opening up in full on July 1. At that time the province will enter stage 3, whereby almost all COVID-19 public health restrictions will be lifted, including restrictions on churches.
Stephens’ trial is set for June 28, a mere 3 days before gathering for full church services becomes legal again.
In an interview with Rebel News, the Justice Centre’s Litigation Director Jay Cameron says Stephen’s arrest is completely illegal and based on a court order that was issued to another business and doesn’t even apply to them, accusing the government of targeting pastors and those critical of their pandemic policies.
He’s been arrested and what the grounds that these guys are saying is because he was served with the amended order of (Judge) Rook…The important thing…is that that order does not apply to him, that order applies only to the Whistle Stop Cafe and people acting under its instructions or in concert with them. And so Alberta Health Services is deceiving the public and twisting that order in order to arrest people who they say have notice of it…that order cannot be stretched to the general public, that’s not the plain wording of the order. And so our position is that Pastor Stephens has been wrongfully arrested, and that AHS is engaged in a public deception.
This led to the rally on Saturday at the Remand Center.
The crowd gathered to pray and sing hymns, including “It is well with my soul.” Several local pastors gave brief, rousing sermons and messages condemning the government and the culture that has allowed these pastors to be imprisoned and their Charter Rights shredded in front of them.
One of the speakers was Pastor James Coates, who himself spent over a month in prison for the same offenses, and has been doing underground services in hiding ever since. His full message below, courtesy of Devin Davis.
I have seen him faithfully minister the word of God. He has been a stalwart of faithfulness to Christ, in shepherding his church, and so I just want everyone to know that I stand by Tim Stephens. He is a precious brother of mine…
The fact that pastor Stephens is in that [jail] is injustice. This county has lost its conscience. That man is in there because he cannot sign a condition, a condition that would preclude him from fulfilling his mission as a pastor and follower of Jesus Christ. And our country is silencing the conscience, it’s a seared conscience that our country has.
Continue to pray for our brother in prison.
The sixty-fifth album in an ongoing series documenting faithful churches gathering for Sunday service in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
With some churches still not gathering in-person in these dark times and others being persecuted by the government for being open, even having the pastors arrested and churches having underground service, these are the congregations who are meeting faithfully at the command of Scripture (Heb. 10:25).
For previous albums:
Album #1 Album #2 Album #3 Album #4 Album #5 Album #6 Album #7 Album #8 Album #9 Album #10 Album #11 Album #12 Album #13
Album #14 Album #15 Album #16 Album#17 Album# 18 Album #19
Album #20 Album #21 Album #22 Album #23 Album #24 Album #25
Album #26 Album #27 Album #28 Album #29 Album #30 Album #31 Album #32 Album #33 Album #34 Album #35 Album #36 Album #37 Album #38 Album #39 Album #40 Album #41 Album #42 Album #43 Album #44 Album #45 Album #46 Album #47 Album #49 Album #50 Album #51 Album #52 Album #53 Album #54 Album #55 Album #56 Album #57 Album #58 Album #59 Album #60 Album #61 Album #62 Album #63 Album #64
These churches are preaching outside, are back in their buildings having in-person services, are having drive-through services, or are meeting in secret. Some with masks and social distancing, others without.
All are being safe. All are being obedient to the scriptures. All are loving their neighbors.
Canadian Pastor Tim Stephen of Fairview Baptist Church in Calgary has been arrested again for the great crime of holding a church service in Canada, being led away by the police and taken to jail in what will be his second arrest for insisting that Christ is the head of the church and determines how and when they gather, not the government.
This new arrest comes a month after his previous incarceration, where he spent a few days in jail before being released, with the charges being dropped several weeks later.
In Alberta, it is against lockdown orders to have churches at more than 15% capacity.
The church was gathered at an undisclosed location when a police helicopter discovered the gathering. It made several passes over them, crisscrossing the skies, and then left, with police cars showing up at the service minutes later. No arrests were made at that time.
After his first release, Alberta Health Services and the Calgary police showed no signs of letting up their persecution, locking the door to the church and physically shutting it down only a little over a week ago.
Pastor Stephens tweeted out on social media that he got a tip that police may be coming to arrest him, a heads up that was proven true when he was arrested mere hours ago in front of his family.
This is a developing story. Pray for Tim, his family, and the congregation.
