![]() “Religious freedoms are subject to the rule of law.”Ĭoates’ lawyers argued Alberta health orders restricting attendance at venues - including churches - violated charter rights centering on freedom of expression and religion. “The argument that James Coates was forced to either forsake his conscience or secure his liberty has been answered,” Shaigec said. Coates’ choice to make.”Ĭoates was ultimately released in late March without any conditions and the government dropped all but one of its charges against the preacher. “He chose to remain in jail,” Shaigec said of Coates, according to CTV News. Shaigec went on to argue a 35-day stint behind bars for preaching to a full congregation was not a violation of Coates’ religious freedoms because he could have been released had he acquiesced to “a single condition,” which was that he agreed to stop leading services and restricted his congregation to only 15% of the facility’s total operational capacity - a stipulation Coates argued violated his conscience as a pastor. ***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***Īccording to the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, which is representing Coates, the judge acknowledged the “sincerity of Pastor Coates’ religious convictions,” but suggested his religious freedoms weren’t “reasonably threatened in more than an insubstantial way.” He dismissed the pastor’s application Monday, The Canadian Press reported. Provincial court Judge Robert Shaigec, however, disagreed. ![]() Hundreds of people – some church supporters, others believed to be far-right or fringe groups – have protested at the fenced-off building in Parkland County since it was locked up.A judge in Canada ruled Monday that the religious freedoms of Alberta Pastor James Coates - who was in jail for more than a month after holding in-person worship services at his church despite COVID restrictions - were not violated.Ĭoates, who leads GraceLife Church in Edmonton, recently submitted a Charter challenge, claiming pandemic-related health orders in Alberta violated his religious liberties. Coates was jailed for several weeks for refusing to agree to follow the rules. ![]() GraceLife was closed April 7 by Alberta Health Services until it says the church can "demonstrate the ability to comply with Alberta's Chief Medical Officer of Health's restrictions."ĪHS spokesperson Kerry Williamson said the agency was unaware of the apparent gathering by GraceLife, but said it would investigate any complaints made.īoth the church and its pastor have been charged with violating provincial public health orders. And in that context, those who are faithful, those who follow Christ and confess that Jesus is Lord, are going to be the ones they have to silence and get out of the way because everyone else is going to fall in line." "Governments all over the world are counselling together in a unified effort to oppress the people they govern. A slightly wider shot of the podium revealed a few people standing in front of the makeshift altar.Ĭoates spoke only briefly about the "imprisonment" of GraceLife's building before beginning his sermon centered on Psalm 2, about God's reign over a rebellion.Ĭoates said he was watching a similar insurrection. ![]() It's not clear who hosted the congregation, or how many people attended. Did you ever think you'd be part of the underground church?" He spoke not from inside the church in Parkland County west of Edmonton, which was then still surrounded by three layers of fence ordered by health officials, but from an unknown location.Ī video of the April 11 service was published to YouTube on Monday.Ĭoates stood at a podium and spoke into a microphone in front of a grey backdrop, not unlike his usual one at the church.Īfter saying good morning, he stepped aside for the band, whose singer greeted the audience, "Good morning. "They can take our facility but we'll just find another one," GraceLife Church's pastor James Coates opened service on Sunday.
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