Pastor james coates canada9/23/2023 ![]() ![]() The court is aware that I'm contesting the legitimacy of that law but please, make no mistake. His congregation, GraceLife Church, has continued to meet for Sunday worship without complying with the province’s restrictions around capacity, masks, and social distancing.Ĭoates defended his stance before the judge saying, “I’m simply here in obedience to Jesus Christ, and it's my obedience to Christ that has put me at odds with the law. James Coates pleaded guilty to breaching bail and was issued a fine of $1,500, with his time spent in prison counting as credit for the fine, CBC News reported. ***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.Update (March 23): The Alberta, Canada, pastor who refused to comply with public health orders during the pandemic spent a month in jail before being released on Monday. Lawyers are scheduled to convene June 30 to set a date for the next hearing. Nevertheless, Coates’ trial is slated to continue with discussions over the constitutionality of public health orders that placed attendance caps on worship services. It should be noted the facility owned by GraceLife was closed and barricaded by government officials in early April, resulting in the congregation meeting at an undisclosed location for worship services.ĭuring the Monday hearing, the judge expressed frustration over Coates’ skepticism about pandemic-related restrictions, saying he has argued the mandates have been “part of an agenda to transform our nation.” ![]() “Similar restrictions apply to almost all secular activities and gatherings,” he said, describing the ticketing process GraceLife underwent as “quick and respectful.” Shaigec rejected their arguments, claiming it was public complaints that resulted in inspectors placing their microscopes over the church. His attorneys also stated their belief that GraceLife and Coates were singled out by government and law enforcement officials. “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. 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. ![]()
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