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Thread: Pastor Jailed

  1. #1
    Senior Member Nikos's Avatar
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    Pastor Jailed

    Master's Seminary Pastor Jailed


    It was only a matter of time. The pastor of a Bible church has been imprisoned for going against covid restrictions by presiding over his church during corporate worship.

    Pastor James Coates of Grace Life Church in Spruce Grove, Alberta was jailed this past Tuesday. As of February 17th, he remains imprisoned with a possible trial date to be set next week sometime. Currently, his wife and children are prohibited from visiting him. Coates is a graduate of the Master's Seminary, was a personal classmate of mine, and has faithfully pastored Grace Life since 2010.

    Here is a brief summary of the situation.

    Grace Life suspended corporate worship services in the spring of 2020 in response to an largely unknown covid situation. On June 21st, the church resumed meeting for corporate gathering. The lawyer representing the church stated, "Even in the summer of 2020, it had become apparent to congregants of Grace Life that government lockdowns cause far more self-imposed harm than the natural harm of covid." In early July, two people who attended Grace Life tested positive for covid, upon which the church shut down for two weeks. They then resumed meeting when it was discovered that no further spread occurred.

    In December, the chief medical officer of Alberta issued a mandate restricting worship gatherings to 15% capacity, with masks and social distancing. Representing Grace Life, the Justice Centre wrote:

    "[S]uch restrictions violate the constitutional rights to freedom of conscience and religion, expression, peaceful assembly and association as protected by section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms."

    In November, Canadian health officials began showing up at Grace Life worship gatherings, recording the number of attendees, those who were not wearing masks, and social distancing. This continued each Sunday for about three months. The church regarded "the weekly invasion of AHS inspectors to be a potential criminal offense, pursuant to section 176(2) of the Criminal Code of Canada, which prohibits the interrupting or disturbing of a religious worship service."

    On December 17th, a health inspector posted a report against the church. On January 21st, a court order was filed to imprison Pastor Coates. Then the health department issued a closure order on January 29th. Grace Life continued to gather for corporate worship. On February 7th, Canadian police told Pastor Coates that he was under arrest for continuing to preside over worship gatherings, explaining that he must abide by the health order. He explained that he could not go against conscience and the need to shepherd God's people. Police left without arresting him. Health inspectors attended Grace Life again on February 14th. Pastor Coates was arrested and jailed Tuesday. In the meantime, as Canada jails Pastor Coates, the nation considers marijuana dispensaries and liquor stores essential services. Reportedly, authorities will release him from jail on the condition he does not preside over Grace Life services. So far, Pastor Coates seems to have declined the offer. Perhaps this reminds us of John Bunyan, who once said, "I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience."

    Master’s Seminary Pastor Jailed | The Cripplegate

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    Frozen Chosen A.J.'s Avatar
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    And this is our Premier, Jason Kenney's, response to this pastor's arrest. People are absolutely livid about it. Spruce Grove is just west of Edmonton and my sister lived there for almost 20 years. She wasn't going to church when she lived there, but I do know someone who attends this church.

    Jason Kenney

    Questions have been raised this week about freedom of worship and religion in Alberta.

    I know how important faith is to many people's lives. So I want to be absolutely clear: Alberta's government will always respect and protect the fundamental freedoms of religion and worship, period.

    Unlike many other provinces and jurisdictions around the world that have padlocked places of worship, Alberta has deliberately kept places of worship open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Congregational worship has continued within safe and reasonable guidelines that are necessary to protect the vulnerable from this deadly pandemic. All across our province, every day and every week, thousands of faith communities gather for congregational worship.

    The suggestion that Alberta has any restriction on preaching is completely false. Under Alberta law, no one has been or will be fined or sanctioned for preaching.

    Anybody in Alberta can preach their faith and, and religious communities are encouraged to gather in congregational worship within the safe guidelines laid out by Alberta Health. This is unlike many other provinces in Canada that have completely suspended congregational worship to prevent viral transmission.

    Just yesterday I joined many fellow believers at an Edmonton Church to participate in Ash Wednesday observances. I saw how volunteers and clergy took great care to protect the health of parishioners and the broader community by following public health guidelines, while continuing to exercise their religious freedom, just as thousands of congregations are doing all across the province. I want to thank all of those faith communities for doing so.

    I know that public health measures designed to save lives and protect our hospitals have nevertheless required real sacrifices. If COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to fall, we can look forwad to relaxing current measures as part of Alberta's Path Forward, including increasing capacity limits for congregational worship.

    As a Christian, I call on fellow believers to be guided by the principle of the sanctity of human life in how we act during this pandemic. COVID-19 has claimed millions of lives around the world, including the lives of more than 1800 Albertans, despite extraordinary efforts to limit viral spread. The vast majority of those whose lives have been threatened or lost are amongst the most vulnerable, such as the very elderly and frail. The Psalmist writes, "blessed are those who have regard for the weak." We all share a responsibility to protect the weak. In the context of this pandemic, that means limiting our interactions with other people to contain and reduce viral spread. That is why we have put in place capacity limits and masking requirements for congregational worship, particularly given several viral outbreaks that occurred last year at worship services, many of which led directly to lives lost.

    Unlike other jurisdictions, Alberta has sought to do this in a way that constitutes a minimal impairment of freedom of worship. unfortunately, despite the best efforts of almost all congregations to worship in a careful way that protects vulnerable lives, one or two congregations have chosen flagrantly to violate all public health guidelines. In doing so, they are risking viral transmission that could cost vulnerable lives.

    That is why I renew my call for all faith communities to responsibly exercise their freedom of worship in a way that shows love for our neighbours and regard for the weak and the vulnerable.


    Jason Kenney - Questions have been raised this week about... | Facebook

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    Senior Member Pentecali's Avatar
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    I'm glad they're livid. Maybe it will stir something in them spiritually.

    I was thought Alberta was more conservative

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    Frozen Chosen A.J.'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pentecali View Post
    I'm glad they're livid. Maybe it will stir something in them spiritually.

    I was thought Alberta was more conservative

    We're very conservative - oil, ranch, mixed farming and we like our guns, too. Jason Kenney is the leader of the United Conservative Party and Premier of our province.

    But something very telling... Jason congratulated Biden when the media declared him president. I think that says very clearly whose side he's on.

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    Senior Member Cardinal TT's Avatar
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    I thought this was about Pentecali in prison for making his Dad use a cane

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  10. #6
    Feb. 22nd,
    GraceLife Church Parking Lot Overflows as they Continue Prohibited Services - Protestia

    24hrs. ago/Feb 21st, Hundreds Rally At Edmonton Prison in Support of Incarcerated Pastor - Protestia


    In my view, Jason Kenney's response to the arrest of Pastor Coates is political double speak. First he makes the definitive statements, "....I know how important faith is to many people's lives. So I want to be absolutely clear: Alberta's government will always respect and protect the fundamental freedoms of religion and worship, period.

    Unlike many other provinces and jurisdictions around the world that have padlocked places of worship, Alberta has deliberately kept places of worship open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Congregational worship has continued within safe and reasonable guidelines that are necessary to protect the vulnerable from this deadly pandemic. All across our province, every day and every week, thousands of faith communities gather for congregational worship.

    The suggestion that Alberta has any restriction on preaching is completely false. Under Alberta law, no one has been or will be fined or sanctioned for preaching."

    And at the last of his remarks renounces everything he said at the start, using the virus as reason to invalidate Alberta's respect and resolve to protect fundamental freedoms of religion and worship, period.

    Period, should be the absolute end of story. But Pastor Coates remains in jail as of February 22nd....period.

    Pastor John MacArthur's attorney made a common sense observation about the lock down of churches in California. MacArthur has made news for doing the same as Canada's pastor Coates. Refusing to close his church or limit congregant attendance.

    "If public safety always outweighed liberty, then we'd never have liberty."

    May God continue to sustain Pastor Coates and his resolve to serve God rather than the fear mongering of man. Amen.
    "Sometimes the devil allows people to live a life free of trouble because he doesn't want people turning to God. Their sin is like a jail cell, except it is all nice and comfy and there doesn't seem to be any reason to leave. The door's wide open. Till one day time runs out and the door slams shut and suddenly it's too late to get out."
    (Lenore Banks ~ "God's Not Dead")

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    Senior Member Highly Favoured's Avatar
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    Who would have ever thought that right here in America we would start to see suffering for being a Christian, in the supposedly Christian nations of North America. Yet, here we are. What a year it has been!!

    It's also been a year of learning our governmental laws and constitutions and our rights under it. I pray it continue to be like this for every member of the church.

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  13. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Highly Favoured View Post
    Who would have ever thought that right here in America we would start to see suffering for being a Christian, in the supposedly Christian nations of North America. Yet, here we are. What a year it has been!!

    It's also been a year of learning our governmental laws and constitutions and our rights under it. I pray it continue to be like this for every member of the church.
    If our rights under the Constitution were empowered to protect us, Donald J. Trump would be serving a second term now.

    I have no doubt one day soon, because this Covid-19 system of controls I don't believe is going to go away within at least the next four years, we'll read of a pastor being jailed in America. And for the very same "offense".

    God save America from the darkness of the Left, and their master.
    "Sometimes the devil allows people to live a life free of trouble because he doesn't want people turning to God. Their sin is like a jail cell, except it is all nice and comfy and there doesn't seem to be any reason to leave. The door's wide open. Till one day time runs out and the door slams shut and suddenly it's too late to get out."
    (Lenore Banks ~ "God's Not Dead")

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