![]() GraceLife Church’s property and building were seized by police on April 7, 2021, and barricaded by temporary fences after worshipers repeatedly broke Alberta’s COVID-19 restrictions. This comes just days after the Provincial Court of Alberta ruled that GraceLife Church’s pastor James Coates’ rights were not violated when he was ticketed for disregarding the Public Health Act when he held worship services in December of last year. UPDATED June 11, 2021: GraceLife Church has filed with the court asking to immediately return to their building. Thank you all for your continued prayers, I will keep you all posted ❤️…Now we are just praying the same for Tim Stephens!” ![]() We wait eagerly on the Lord to be back in our facility. Deena Hinshaw, the province’s chief medical officer of health, said the majority of Albertans were following the rules and that there had been consequences for Coates and the church for violating public health orders.Pastor James Coates’ wife Erin posted on her Instagram: “Guys, look what Twitter just told me! Carly Robinson of CityNews reported this. The health authority said it hopes to meet with Coates soon.Īsked Monday about whether they were worried other faith groups would follow GraceLife’s lead, Dr. Photo by Greg Southam/PostmediaĪn AHS spokesperson told the National Post that inspectors were “denied entry to the church, but noted what appeared to be breaches of the current health restrictions related to capacity, physical distancing and masking.” RCMP officers speak to people on Sunday, Maas Pastor James Coates returns to Gracelife Church after spending 33 days in jail for disobeying public health orders. According to local media reports, RCMP and Alberta Health staff were nearby. On Sunday, Coates spoke prior to the sermon, saying he felt blessed to be back among his followers. “It would amount to fearing man instead of fearing God, or choosing to disobey God by complying with the commend (sic) of an earthly authority that is in opposition to the commandments of God,” Erin Coates writes. ![]() The GraceLife case attracted protests and galvanized other church groups to hold services in violation of COVID-19 rules in solidarity with Coates, who maintained his devotion to Christ required violating provincial health orders.Įrin Coates, in an affidavit filed in court, said her husband’s “sincerely held religious belief is that only the Lord Jesus Christ has the authority to prescribe the terms of worship at GraceLife, not any other authority,” and that following COVID restrictions would be disobeying Christ. He plans to challenge the constitutionality of the public health orders that led to the ticket. Coates, meanwhile, will go back to court in May to fight a ticket received in December for holding over-capacity worship services. Last Monday, Coates was released from jail after pleading guilty to breaching a court undertaking. 16 and March 22, he was held in the Edmonton Remand Centre. Since he refused to abide by the conditions of his release, between Feb. Article contentĬoates was released on bail, but then was re-arrested for holding further services in violation of the health orders. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
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