Police officials in Alberta, Canada, have decided to forcibly and “physically close” a church in Edmonton until the congregation’s leaders adequately comply with local coronavirus restrictions.
Since last summer, congregants of GraceLife Church in Edmonton have been meeting normally for worship services, “despite requirements that church gatherings limit capacity, require masks, and practice social distancing,” Christianity Today reported on Thursday morning of the situation.
As of early Wednesday, police vehicles were seen blocking the entrances to the church—with police officials erecting fencing around the church building.
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The local health department has done no less than 18 inspections of this particular church since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the same outlet—inspections that have led to “multiple fines and orders to comply.”
The pastor, James Coates, was even arrested and spent a month in jail.
He was released on March 29 and is awaiting a trial for “breaking COVID orders.”
The wife of the pastor, Erin Coates, posted this message, in part, on her Instagram account on Wednesday: “This is what happens when you have freedom of religion in a free and democratic society: They jail your pastor for freely opening the doors of the church and serving Christ’s sheep and hurting people. Now they’ve chained the doors of GraceLife Church [and enclosed it] in chain link fence. This is all under the guise of a health order.”
She went on, “Too bad the church isn’t a building. It’s a blood-bought people. Christ has and will prevail. We have an enemy and that enemy has been defeated by the death and resurrection of Christ. For all those who find satisfaction in this—you cannot stop the Gospel. The name of Jesus Christ will go forth with even more power and conviction.”
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John Carpay, president of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms—the law firm that is representing the church—in a statement on Wednesday called out the “erosion” of Albertans’ civil liberties, as CBN News noted.
“Freedom of conscience and religion is the first fundamental freedom listed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” he said.
Carpay also said that “the government has, so far, refused to justify the limits on worship and gathering.” He said health orders have been “inconsistent, differing from province to province.”
One Twitter user who’s been following the story said he counted “13 police vehicles” surrounding the church on Wednesday—see his video of it below.
I count thirteen vehicles as part of this police raid on a church. They’re erecting steel fences around it. Like China does when they uncover an illegal “house church”. Except this is in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The same church whose pastor was thrown in prison for 35 days. pic.twitter.com/qJlnHHGGdV
— Ezra Levant 🍁🚛 (@ezralevant) April 7, 2021
Others on Twitter are asking for prayers and moral support for those who want nothing more than to practice their faith in peace.
See this tweet, for example:
Pray for this Canadian Church. The pastor was arrested and the Church fenced off – for holding Worship services. https://t.co/lBniwCqI1N
— Brian Gibson (@leadpastor) April 8, 2021
Many others are calling attention to the “tyrannical government overreach” with messages of outrage, shock, support—and pleas for wisdom.
See these tweets for more information and context.
The government is so hell-bent on enforcing the closure notice that they are now blocking the shared driveway access to a private landowner next door.
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) April 7, 2021
The landowner next door cannot access their own property because the state raided GraceLife church. https://t.co/pRFIb8J5Qi
AHS statement on GraceLife Church closure, we have not one Covid case since July 2020, meeting every Sunday . This is tyranny! https://t.co/fbgFG0MYOB
— Oma10 (@theresiasmith52) April 7, 2021
This morning, Alberta Health Services, with the RCMP, raided GraceLife Church in Edmonton. They're barring entry and have fenced off the building. This is tyrannical government overreach, and is a direct violation of Canadian Charter rights.#cdnnpolihttps://t.co/jyl9oljv31
— MP Derek Sloan (@DerekSloanCPC) April 7, 2021
Police have placed roadblocks and fencing around GraceLife Church in Edmonton, Alberta in an effort to prevent worshippers from accessing the building. https://t.co/PLlXLx5dme via @CBNNews
— CBN News (@CBNNews) April 7, 2021
Now that Pastor James Coates is out of jail, the police in Edmonton have decided to imprison the church building! Please pray for the elders and congregation of Gracelife church, and all the churches of Canada. https://t.co/p1LQ86YnkY
— Eric Nielsen (@Agent000Dotcom) April 7, 2021
Alberta Health Services has closed GraceLife Church in Parkland County west of Edmonton.
— CBC News (@CBCNews) April 7, 2021
The church had repeatedly defied public health orders, with hundreds of people attending services, which continued despite a closure order in January. https://t.co/vsSw3rl13N @wallissnow
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—By CNJ Staff