Tag: calgary

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Pastor Tim Stephens to Spend at Least Two Weeks in Jail After Underground Church Discovered

courtesy of rebelnews.com

Pastor Tim Stephens, who was arrested by police on Monday in front of his weeping wife and children a day after his underground church service was discovered by police helicopters, will have to spend at least 2 weeks in prison on account of violating Alberta lockdown orders, incarcerated until he can attend a June 24 court date.

This is the second arrest for Stephens, who was taken into custody last month and spent three days in jail, and was subsequently released after his arrest was found to be based on illegal and spurious merits.

In a letter posted on social media by his wife Raquel, she explains that the government has now seized Fairview Baptist Church’s building and pastor and that Alberta Health services “still want Tim to tell people what to wear, where to stand, and to forbid some people from being the church,”

Following his arrest, Pastor Stephens went before a Justice of the Peace and like Pastor James Coates, who was jailed on the same grounds and whose location has yet to be discovered, was offered bail conditions “upon his agreement to abide by all public health orders.” She explains that he could not agree to those terms, as that would “prevent him from faithfully shepherding the flock to his care” and consequently will remain in custody until at least June 28.

According to Calgary Police, though Stephens was served with an injunction to cease gathering, he chose to “move forward with an illegal outdoor service, ignoring requirements for social distancing and reduced capacity limits for attendees.”

In a statement by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, the firm who is representing pastor Stephens, Jay Cameron, Justice Centre Litigation Director explains that the arrest is completely outrageous:

It is our position that AHS is engaged in an intentional act of public deception and abuse of authority in arresting Pastor Stephens and others.  Further, it appears that Premier Kenney’s Government is targeting its enemies, those who are speaking out against lockdown restrictions and for Charter freedoms.

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News

Video: Another Canadian Pastor Arrested and Thrown In Jail (Updated)

Update #1: James Coates’ lawyer, James Kitchen, responding to Calgary Police Service Statement, says that Pastor Stephens was never served with a copy of the court order and that Alberta Health Services is straight-up lying.

A third Alberta Pastor has been arrested and thrown in jail on account of breaking pandemic gathering rules, which limit church services to 15 people inside, or 5 people outside. [Where is “the science” on that? -Ed.]

Pastor Tim Stephens of Fairview Baptist Church in Caglary, Alberta, follows Pastor James Coates and Pastor Artur Pawlowski in being arrested for violating a a Court of Queen’s Bench Order that requires organizers of events to comply with public health restrictions.

Tim Stephens, a reserved man with 8 children, was arrested following the church service Sunday. He hugged his family and friends before being led away and put into a police car, surrounded by a half-dozen officers and multiple police vehicles. There is no word yet on how long he is being incarcerated for or if he’s being allowed to post bail.

For weeks Stephens has indicated that he will not comply with these health orders, writing on the church website:

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. Our actions are borne out of theological commitments to the Lordship of Christ and his instruction to the church as revealed in Scripture…The consequences may be severe. But we stand before Christ rather than bend before consequences.

In a public statement, Calagry Police say that they have “received repeated calls from concerned citizens regarding church services held at Fairview Baptist Church over the past several weeks,” and that after being served an injunction and told to stop, “the Pastor acknowledged the injunction, but chose to move forward with today’s service, ignoring requirements for social distancing, mask-wearing and reduced capacity limits for attendees.”

When asked last week by Rebel News what happens next, Stephens was reflective but unbowed.

It’s not the civil magistrate’s job, the government’s job to regulate or restrict our worship and so we’re really coming together as peaceful citizens to worship Christ because he is worthy. In terms of what that means, now I don’t really know. The government has obviously turned up the heat on churches trying to discourage them from gathering together. I think they don’t understand that Christians are committed to follow the Lord Jesus Christ regardless of the consequence.

Pray for this man, his family, and the church.

Bonus content: These are the first minutes of last week’s sermon, where Pastor Tim explains why their gather for worship even when it is outlawed by the governing authorities. A primer for un-arrested pastors everywhere.

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In-person Church Righteous Defiance

Police Statement Lies About Pastor Who Went Viral After Kicking Cops from Church

Police in Calgary have responded to the viral video showing Pastor Artur Pawlowski of the Cave of Adullam Church in Alberta (Also Street Church) chasing off police officers from his church, calling them “Nazi Psychopaths” and Gestapo as he did.

“Out! Out of this property, you Nazis! Out! Out! Gestapo is not allowed here. Out! Immediately Gestapo is not allowed here! Do you understand English? Get out of this property. Go! Go and don’t come back without a warrant. Out! Nazi!”

The police, wanting you to disbelieve your own lying eyes, issued a statement, rife with falsehoods and PR talk.

Firstly, anyone can tell from the video that there was more than one police officer there, not simply just one. They were in uniform, and they had guns on them. Upon close inspection, we count at least three.

Second, they say they were there for less than a minute, yet the video starts when they are all already inside and having all gained entry.

Third, the man was uncooperative and raised his voice because police repeatedly refused to leave and kept on trying to argue with him why they should be allowed to stay despite not having a warrant.

Fourth, the police can claim that they entered peacefully all the want, it is still a violation of Criminal Code 176, which makes it a crime to disrupt a church service, even if it is Alberta Health Services or the Calgary Police doing it.

176 (1) Every person is guilty of an indictable offense and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than two years or is guilty of an offense punishable on summary conviction who…

(2) Every one who willfully disturbs or interrupts an assemblage of persons met for religious worship or for a moral, social or benevolent purpose is guilty of an offense punishable on summary conviction.

This is an embarrassment and shows the dishonesty of the police trying to tyrannically enforce their will on the people.