‘Vindication’: Canadian Pastor Found Not Guilty of Violating COVID-19 Church Restrictions
BY : Michael Foust | ChristianHeadlines.com Contributor
A Canadian pastor who was arrested and jailed for holding church services during the COVID-19 pandemic has been acquitted of violating the province’s health rules.
The controversy dates back to church services on February 28 and March 7 of 2021, when peace officers for the city of Calgary cited Stephens for failing to follow Alberta’s social distancing rules.
Fradsham, though, ruled that Stephens was not legally responsible for members’ conduct. Stephens’ only responsibility was that he himself followed the social distancing rules, the judge ruled.
“I see nothing in the provisions … which imposed any legal obligation on Pastor Stephens to ensure, compel, or encourage compliance, by those attending the religious services he was conducting,” Fradsham wrote in a nine-page decision. “… I am not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt, or at all, that Pastor Stephens, on either of those two dates, failed to ‘maintain a minimum of 2 metres distance from every other person.’
“The evidence before me is that while congregants within the Church did not maintain a minimum of 2 metres distance from every other person, on both dates, Pastor Stephens was alone at the front of the Church.”
The judge added, “I find the accused not guilty.”
Stephens celebrated the judge’s decision.
“In total, 5 health tickets withdrawn, 1 criminal charge withdrawn, 1 contempt charge withdrawn, and now acquitted on these two counts. But I still spent 21 days in jail,” Stephens wrote on Twitter.
“This is vindication, not only for me, but vindication that the government grossly abused their power,” Stephens wrote. “In all of this, I rejoice since the gospel of Jesus Christ went forth in power, and Christ built his church. All glory to God!”
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