harvest bible church

Tyrannical First! Church’s ENTIRE Elder Board Charged for Violating Lockdown Laws, Each Face $10,000 fine

In what is believed to be a first in North America, a Canadian church that gathered for worship in defiance of provincial COVID-19 lockdown laws, which limits church gatherings to 10 people, has had their elder board of six people charged under Section 10.1 of the Reopening Ontario Act (ROA) for holding church services on Sunday, December 27.

If convicted, they could each receive a $10,000 fine.

News of the charges to the elders of Trinity Bible Chapel in Waterloo, Ontario was delivered on December 30th, when in a coordinated effort, law enforcement officers showed up at each of the homes of the six elders and delivered them the court summons.

In a press release sent out about the incident, the church expressed their dismay and righteous anger at this news:

Our government is destroying our society to prevent the spread of a virus with a fraction of a fractional death rate. This is evil. Nowhere does the Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantee freedom from risk or virus, but it does protect the freedom of conscience, religion, belief, and assembly. These are unlawful laws, a violation of God-given rights, a contravention of Section 176 of the Criminal Code, and an infringement of the Charter.

Unsurprisingly, the chief of police who is overseeing and enforcing the lockdown advocated for Black Lives Matter protests several months back when they were similarly prohibited. He supported these gatherings of over 10,000 people, explaining that “we will ensure you have the support needed to practice your democratic right and have your voice heard.”

For churches, not so much.

The press release concludes with these words:

Our Saviour shed His blood to purchase the church, and therefore deeming the church “unessential” is tantamount to deeming the blood of Christ unessential, which is a public act of blasphemy. One day our elected officials, bureaucrats, and police will stand before the court of God’s justice for these acts. We earnestly pray that the Holy Spirit would draw them to His Son, Jesus Christ, who offers free grace and forgiveness to all who would repent and put their faith in him.

Jesus Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, and therefore we must honour and obey him above all earthly governments. We emphasize that our hope in Christ’s goodness is firmly anchored. Our Saviour is just, equitable, and loving towards his people. He has every hair on our heads numbered, and his eyes see all things. He will lead us through the valley of the shadow of death, and we will fear no evil. He has taught us to love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us, and to count our sufferings as pure joy. We embrace his will in humility by submitting to his heavy hand trusting that in the proper time he will exalt us because he cares.

Pastor Pledges To ‘Take Church Underground’ Afer Facing Fine 100k and Year in Jail For Remaining Open

A pastor in Canada facing massive charges and jail time for having church services of more than 10 people, a violation of the province’s regressive and tyrannical shutdown laws, is pledging that his congregation will find a way to gather for the Lord’s day, even if that means talking the church underground and practicing civil disobedience.

In a statement released today by the Elders at Harvest Bible Church in Windsor, Ontario, they explain that their Pastor Aaron Rock was informed by law enforcement officers that he’s been charged under the “Reopening Ontario Act” for having church last week. The exact fine will be assessed by the courts and ranges from $10,000- $100,000 and one year in prison.

Furthermore, the police told the congregation they would physically prevent them from attending their Christmas Eve church service, but it is not known at this time to what degree they were successful.

The statement explains:

“We believe that God will call provincial officials and the Premier to account for these irrational, illegal, and irresponsible acts, and for refusing to recognize the essential work of the church. To rescue the world from one viral threat, officials are willing to deny people gainful employment, deny people with mental illness and suicidal inclinations essential support, and deny the in-person proclamation of the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is an abhorrent offense to humanity and an affront to religious liberties. To add to this injustice, hardware stores and big box stores remain open so that people can buy their last-minute Christmas gifts, while the church is banned from collectively worshipping the greatest Christmas gift ever given: the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a national disgrace.

The church describes how they have repeatedly reached out to the health unit tasked with enforcing public health measures, but to this point they’ve been completely uncommunicative and have refused to respond.

Thus: they made their position known with utmost clarity:

Our elders have met, and we will issue an internal communication to our church family outlining some interim plans to help us get through the Christmas season before we head into the New Year. In the end, we will find ways to fulfil our Christian obligations even if we are forced underground or to practice further civil disobedience.

In the meantime we will continue to fight against injustice and fight for the God-given freedoms and responsibilities of the Christian church. The Church is, and shall remain, a free institution under the lordship of Jesus Christ and an essential service for all of humanity.

That’s a ‘Yea’ and an “Amen” if we’ve ever heard one.