Calgary Pastor Derek Reimer was charged with mischief and disturbing the peace after being physically thrown out of a drag queen story time event at a public library this past weekend.
He has been cited numerous times for feeding the homeless and horrid crimes like ministering to people.
Mission 7 serves the homeless in Calgary’s downtown core.
Over the past two years, amid stiff competition, the province of Alberta has earned the dubious distinction of having arrested the most Christian pastors in all of Canada.
Pastor Artur Pawlowski, Pastor James Coates, and Pastor Tim Stephens have all been behind bars for refusing to bend the knee to the litany of COVID restrictions forcing them to close their churches when people needed them most.
Premier Jason Kenney put more pastors in jail over the past two years than Communist China. (We even put a billboard up reminding Albertans of that.)
There’s also Pastor Derek Reimer. A Fight The Fines alumnus who received multiple fines for carrying on his pastoral duties when the state considered that a “high-risk” activity. He beat those fines with the stellar legal help he received thanks to our viewers’ generous donations towards his legal fees.
This weekend, Pastor Derek found himself in trouble with the law once again.
He allegedly violated an injunction issued to the City of Calgary, which banned honking and loudspeakers. A move clearly meant to stifle the city’s weekly freedom rallies.
We covered the rally this weekend and obtained footage of the arrest from one of Derek’s congregants shortly after it happened
How Can Jason Kenney Be Considered a Christian or Populist When Yet Another Christian Pastor Derek Reimer, Arrested For Violating Injunction on Loudspeakers
Over the past two years, amid stiff competition, the province of Alberta has earned the dubious distinction of having arrested the most Christian pastors in all of Canada. Pastor Artur Pawlowski, Pastor James Coates, and Pastor Tim Stephens have all been behind bars for refusing to bend the knee to the litany of COVID restrictions forcing them to close their churches when people needed them most. Premier Jason Kenney put more pastors in jail over the past two years than Communist China. (We even put a billboard up reminding Albertans of that.)
There’s also Pastor Derek Reimer. A Fight The Fines alumnus who received multiple fines for carrying on his pastoral duties when the state considered that a “high-risk” activity. He beat those fines with the stellar legal help he received thanks to our viewers’ generous donations towards his legal fees. This weekend, Pastor Derek found himself in trouble with the law once again. He allegedly violated an injunction issued to the City of Calgary, which banned honking and loudspeakers. A move clearly meant to stifle the city’s weekly freedom rallies. We covered the rally this weekend and obtained footage of the arrest from one of Derek’s congregants shortly after it happened.
The attempts by Alberta’s political class to silence religious leaders and COVID dissidents from voicing their concerns against government overreach have been a blight on the province. Details are still short on the legal implications of Pastor Derek’s arrest, but we will be speaking with him soon for his personal account of what happened. And while we turn our attention to Pastor Derek’s plight, Pastor Artur sits under strict house arrest conditions with the legal fight of a lifetime ahead of him. To learn more about his case and to donate towards his legal fees, please click here or visit SaveArtur.com.
Yours truly, Adam Soos
P.S. The mainstream media has turned a blind eye to the egregious assaults on our freedom of speech and religious liberty. Only Rebel News covers the crackdown on Canadian Christian pastors fairly and accurately. If you think that’s important, please consider donating right here so we can keep telling the other side of the story when others won’t.
New Billboard: Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has put more pastors in jail than China during the pandemic
Things are reopening in Alberta. The economy is picking back up. But we should not forget what was done to civil liberties in the name of public health in Alberta.
It’s awful. But it’s true.
Calgary Pastor Tim Stephens was arrested in front of his crying children for refusing to force his congregation to comply with government COVID rules on places of worship. He was held for weeks. His congregation held services in secret away from the prying eyes of police and health bureaucrats.
Edmonton area Pastor James Coates of GraceLife Church turned himself in and spent 35 days in jail when he ran afoul of public health regulations on places of worship that he said violated the religious freedom of this congregation. The church building itself was confiscated by the province for nearly 3 months and the congregation was forced underground to avoid fines and harassment.
Pastor Artur Pawlowski has been arrested five times. His trouble started when he was feeding the homeless in downtown Calgary and was fined for holding an illegal public gathering. That initial contact with police set off a cascade of events that has seen him slapped with a compelled speech order, a travel ban and serious fines for not limiting church services and allowing inspectors to interrupt prayers.
Artur is currently in jail, the only person ever charged under a law designed to target pipeline bombers and wellhead saboteurs. His crime was offering a sermon to truckers who were blockading the Coutts border.
Things are reopening in Alberta. The economy is picking back up. But we should not forget what was done to civil liberties in the name of public health in Alberta.
That’s why Rebel News has put up a brand new billboard along the side of Highway 2 south of Leduc, Alberta where it will receive 1.3 million monthly impressions. The billboard bears the faces of these arrested pastors.
Our billboard is expensive to maintain, but we think it’s important to not let what happened to these men at the hands of the Alberta government be forgotten.
EXCLUSIVE: Post-jail interview with Pastor Tobias Tissen
Unfortunately for Pastor Tobias and The Church of God Restoration in Steinbach, they are still subject to a court appearance which should take place on November 4.
Pastor Tobias Tissen is amongst the many pastors recently arrested here in Canada. This disturbing trend can be seen coast to coast, from the recent arrest of Pastor Phil Hutchings in New Brunswick, to the arrests of pastors Tim Stephens, James Coates and Artur Pawlowski in Alberta.
Luckily today we’re not here to bring you the story of a man behind bars, as Pastor Tobias Tissen has been released after spending roughly 45 hours in custody.https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-x
Though this is good news for the Manitoba minister, it is not without any drawbacks.
Pastor Tobias was able to negotiate the conditions of his release, meaning while he’s not able to incite, organize, or invite anyone to an event that contravenes COVID-19 health regulations, he is able to perform regular church services alongside his duties as a pastor.
Unfortunately, Pastor Tobias and The Church of God Restoration in Steinbach are still subject to a court appearance, which is expected to take place on November 4. At that time, we will find out what happens in regards to the $1-million ticket that could be handed out.
Pastor Tobias is being represented by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms.
While Pastor Tobias is being defended by lawyers from the JCCF, a number of other pastors — and Canadians across the country — are being represented through FightTheFines.com, where Rebel News viewers can crowdfund the legal fees to help defend civil liberties — and get a charitable tax receipt while doing so, from our partners The Democracy Fund.
U.S. senator Josh Hawley wants Canada on religious freedom watch list over pastor COVID-19 arrests
Bob Weber The Canadian Press Published 2 days ago Updated 2 days ago Comments Text Size % buffered 00:00
Supporters gather outside court as Pastor James Coates of GraceLife Church appears in court after he was arrested for holding Sunday services in violation of COVID-19 rules, in Stony Plain, Alta., on Feb. 24, 2021. JASON FRANSON/The Canadian Press
A U.S. senator has asked that Canada be investigated for violating religious freedom over the arrests of Alberta pastors accused of flouting COVID-19 restrictions.
In a letter released Thursday, Missouri Republican Josh Hawley asked his country’s Commission on International Religious Freedom to consider putting Canada on its special watch list.
“I am troubled that our Canadian neighbours are effectively being forced to gather in secret, undisclosed locations to exercise their basic freedom to worship,” Mr. Hawley wrote.
“Frankly, I would expect this sort of religious crackdown in Communist China, not in a prominent western nation like Canada.”
Mr. Hawley refers in his letter to the arrests of Alberta pastors James Coates and Tim Stephens.
Mr. Coates spent a month in the Edmonton Remand Centre after he violated a bail condition not to hold church services that officials said were ignoring COVID-19 measures on capacity limits, physical distancing and masking. He was released March 22 after pleading guilty and was fined $1,500.
Mr. Coates, who is a pastor at GraceLife Church in Spruce Grove, has argued provincial regulations meant to curb the spread of COVID-19 infringed on his and his congregants’ constitutional right to freedom of religion and peaceful assembly.
Earlier this month, a judge ruled his religious freedoms under the Charter were not violated.
Mr. Stephens remains in remand after being arrested last week following repeated public complaints over an outdoor service that officials say broke public-health orders. Calgary police and Alberta Health Services allege that Stephens of Fairview Baptist Church chose to keep holding services without respecting orders on physical distancing and capacity limits, even after his church had been twice ordered closed.
Litigation director Jay Cameron of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, which is representing Mr. Stephens, has accused Alberta Health Services in a statement of being “engaged in an intentional act of public deception and abuse of authority in arresting pastor Stephens and others.”
Sheila Gunn Reid provides an update on Pastor James Coates of the GraceLife church in Edmonton, Alberta. Pastor James is now behind bars after he refused to turn away congregants to his church.
Medico-Stalinist Christian-Hating Tyranny at Work: Christian Pastor Goes to Prison Rather Than Agree to Bail Conditions Requiring Him to Close His Church
This statement from Pastor James Coates is featured on the website of Edmonton’s GraceLife Church. It was updated the day he turned himself into police for violating Alberta’s Health Act. Coates has been in custody since he turned himself into police on Tuesday, because he refuses to agree to the conditions of his release.
PUBLIC STATEMENT
Dear fellow Albertans,
It goes without saying this has been an incredibly difficult 11 months. The effects and ramifications of COVID-19 on our precious province are not insignificant. We sympathize with everyone who has suffered loss in this time, whether it be the loss of a loved one, or loss stemming from government lockdowns (such as economic loss or suffering as a result of being denied necessary health care).
Given the attention our church has received in recent days, we want to address the broader public on our reasons for gathering as a local church. What follows is not a theological defence. We have already addressed that sufficiently here, here, here and here (and it is primarily and predominantly obedience to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that has shaped our stance). Instead, what follows will shed light on our approach to what is being called a “pandemic.” The reason we put “pandemic” in quotes is because the definition of a pandemic was changed about 10 years ago. At one time, a pandemic was defined as an infectious disease that resulted in a certain percentage of excess deaths over and above normal annual averages. The definition was changed in connection with H1N1 to remove this threshold. Ten years ago, COVID-19 would not have qualified as a pandemic. In fact, not even close.
When COVID-19 first appeared, we shifted to livestream and abided by most of the new government guidelines for our gatherings. But when the first declared public health emergency ended, we opened our doors and returned to nearly normal gatherings on Sunday June 21st, 2020. We did so recognizing COVID-19 was much less severe than the government had initially projected. This sentiment was reflected in the assessment of the Premier of Alberta, who deliberately referred to COVID-19 as “influenza” multiple times in a speech announcing the end of the first declared public health emergency.
In early July, it was brought to our attention that two separate individuals had attended our gatherings on two consecutive Sundays and subsequently tested positive for the virus (both cases being unrelated to each other). At that time, we did our own internal contact tracing (prior to AHS notifying us of the exposure), many of our congregants were tested, and it was determined that no transmission of the virus had taken place. Out of an abundance of caution, we shifted exclusively to livestream and shutdown all other ministries for two weeks (14 days). We did this to mitigate any further spread of COVID-19. When it was evident that no further spread had taken place, we resumed our nearly normal gatherings. Since then, we have gathered as a church each Sunday without incident (28 Sundays to date).
Having engaged in an immense amount of research, interacting with both doctors and frontline healthcare workers, it is apparent that the negative effects of the government lockdown measures on society far surpass the effects of COVID-19. The science being used to justify lockdown measures is both suspect and selective. In fact, there is no empirical evidence that lockdowns are effective in mitigating the spread of the virus. We are gravely concerned that COVID-19 is being used to fundamentally alter society and strip us all of our civil liberties. By the time the so-called “pandemic” is over, if it is ever permitted to be over, Albertans will be utterly reliant on government, instead of free, prosperous, and independent.
As such, we believe love for our neighbor demands that we exercise our civil liberties. We do not see our actions as perpetuating the longevity of COVID-19 or any other virus that will inevitably come along. If anything, we see our actions as contributing to its end – the end of destructive lockdowns and the end of the attempt to institutionalize the debilitating fear of viral infections. Our local church is clear evidence that governmental lockdowns are unnecessary. In fact, it is also evidence of how harmful they are. Without going into detail, we recently lost the life of one of our precious congregants who was denied necessary health care due to government lockdown measures.
Consider the following statistics. It is alleged that 129,075 Albertans have tested positive for the virus. That works out to just less than 3% of the population. However, it needs to be pointed out that the PCR test being used to test for COVID-19 is fraught with false positives. This is especially true, since at least until recently, Alberta was running the PCR test at 40 amplifications. As such, the number of Albertans who have actually contracted the virus is likely significantly less. It is also vital to highlight that more than 99% of those who contract the virus will fully recover.
Alberta is currently reporting 1,782 COVID-related deaths. It is critically important to articulate it this way. There is a big difference between dying from COVID and dying with COVID. But it is also critical to note that these COVID-related deaths, as tragic as they are, have not resulted in a statistically significant increase in excess deaths (and the average age of those who have died related to COVID-19 is 82, consistent with life expectancy in Alberta). Sadly, most of these individuals would have likely died due to various other lethal co-morbidities (and it immensely grieves us that in many cases they were forced to die apart from their family unnecessarily). In addition, experts estimate that deaths, in the long run, resulting from government lockdown measures will surpass COVID-related deaths 10 to 1 (e.g. premature deaths resulting from not receiving necessary health care, suicides, drug overdoses, addictions, the development of chronic health conditions, total loss of income, family breakdown, etc.). In fact, it would seem that COVID-related deaths are being treated as though they are somehow more tragic than any and all other deaths.
Many Albertans are afraid and are convinced of the efficacy of government lockdowns for two reasons: misinformation and fearmongering. The media has so pounded the COVID-19 drum since the “pandemic” began, almost exclusively emphasizing caseload and deaths, that people are fearful. So fearful, in fact, they have been convinced that yielding up their civil liberties to the government is in their best interests. It is difficult to have not lost confidence in the mainstream media. It would seem as though journalism is on life-support in our province. The media should be made up of the most thorough, discerning, and investigative people in our society. Instead, many of them seem to be serving an ideological agenda. Now more than ever, it is vital that Albertans exercise discernment when listening to the mainstream media.
What do we believe people should do? We believe they should responsibly return to their lives. Churches should open, businesses should open, families and friends should come together around meals, and people should begin to exercise their civil liberties again. Otherwise we may not get them back. In fact, some say we are on the cusp of reaching the point of no return. Protect the vulnerable, exercise reasonable precautions, but begin to live your lives again.
That said, living life comes with risks. Every time we get behind the wheel of a car, we are assuming a degree of risk. We accept that risk due to the benefits of driving. Yes, though vastly overblown, there are associated risks with COVID-19, as there are with other infections. Human life, though precious, is fragile. As such, death looms over all of us. That is why we need a message of hope. One that addresses our greatest need. That message is found in Jesus Christ. It is found in Him because all of us have sinned and have fallen short of God’s perfect standard of righteousness (Rom 3:23). To sin is to violate the holiness and righteousness of God. As our Creator, He is the one who will judge us according to our deeds and no one will stand on their own merit in that judgment. Therefore, we need a substitute. One who has both lived the life we could not and died the death we deserve.
Praise be to God, there is! God the Father commissioned His Son into the world, to take upon Himself human flesh (John 1:14), being true God and true man, whereby He lived under the Law of God (Gal 4:4), fulfilled it in every respect, was tempted in all things as we are, and yet was without sin (Heb 4:15). Then, in obedience to the Father, He went to the cross, drank the full cup of the Father’s wrath for the sin of all who would ever believe on His name, died, and rose again! In this way, He proved He had conquered both sin and death, our two greatest enemies. He has ascended into heaven and is now seated at the right hand of the Father (Col 3:1), awaiting the time of His Second Coming.
In the meantime, this message of salvation is to be proclaimed to all people (Matt 28:18–20). In fact, the church exists to proclaim this message! That if you would turn from your sin and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, putting full trust in His finished work on the cross along with His resurrection from the dead, you will be saved! Not only will all of your sins be forgiven you, but you will also be credited with a perfect record of righteousness; the very righteousness of Christ (2 Cor 5:21). And so, we would urge you to be reconciled to God through His Son this day. The very one who has given you life and breath.
Should you do so, you will receive eternal life and will experience life after death (John 11:25).
Death looms over all of us. But there is a message of concrete hope, in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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