A large group of protesters — a blend of allies, fellow church members, and Christian ministers — gathered outside the Calgary Remand Centre in Alberta over the weekend in a show of solidarity for a pastor arrested earlier this month for leading outdoor worship services.
Fairview Baptist Church Pastor Tim Stephens was arrested for a second time last Monday after authorities in a police helicopter discovered the secret outdoor location where his congregation had been gathering since law enforcement officials overtook their building and locked it up.
Stephens’ children could be seen weeping as their father was forced into a police vehicle outfitted with bars on the windows.
GraceLife Church Pastor James Coates, who spent 35 days behind bars in a maximum security facility for leading worship services in violation of Alberta’s health orders, attended the protest in support of Stephens.
Like Fairview Baptist Church, GraceLife Church in Edmonton was overtaken by police, who placed a three-layer barricade around the facility in April, forcing the congregation to begin meeting at a clandestine location.
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Coates warned Canada is “losing its entire identity” and “everything that we’ve enjoyed in this country to this point is being systematically and fundamentally redefined.”
“This country — the whole Western civilization as we know it — is being systematically altered,” he continued. “And all we’re going to do in the meantime is proclaim the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The whole thing is going to come down, and we are going to claim Christ all the way to the grave. And we’re going to preach the Gospel to all those who hate Him and hate us, and we’re going to appeal to them to be reconciled to God. And may God work through His grace by our preaching to reconcile hearts to Himself.”
He admitted, too, he believes Canada “is dying” and “is on life support.”
When Stephens was arrested the second time, police officers took a passage of Scripture out of context to justify their actions against him.
Stephens’ brother, Tim, who pastors the nearby Victory Baptist Church, spoke at the protest over the weekend, condemning the police officer who “dared to cite Scripture to a pastor to defend their actions.”
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“Anyone who saw the video footage can see clearly who the more principled man was,” Tim said. “One of the Scriptures the police officer twisted was, ‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,’ to which we would say, ‘Absolutely, and amen.’ Part of the passage he was quoting was the response from Jesus [to someone] who brought Him a coin, tempting Him. Jesus asked the question, ‘Whose is this image and superscription?’”
“To which they replied, ‘It was Caesar’s,’” the pastor continued, recalling his brother’s encounter. “Jesus then answered and said — and this is the full verse — ‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’”
Trevor Stephens called the province’s treatment of his brother — and other church leaders — “reprehensible.”
“Jailing a pastor for being obedient to God for an injunction that really doesn’t apply to him,” he said. “But our family’s just so grateful for people to show up and show support for Tim.”