COVID-19 and the Struggle for Worship in Canada

The world is still in the midst of a global pandemic of significant proportions. I say significant for the COVID pandemic because this is not as serious a global problem as similar events that have been faced in human history. The Spanish flu killed an estimated fifty million people worldwide in 1918-1920 and maybe as many as one hundred million at a time when the world population was less than two billion. The US experienced 675,000 deaths when the population was just over 106 million according to the 1920 census. At week 52 of 2020, the COVID global death toll stood at about 1.77 million deaths, a sad number indeed but we have not reached the proportionate figures of one hundred years ago. Still the problem is serious. The statistics cannot offset the grief and devastation that the current pandemic has caused in human terms.

There may be any number of factors that account for the differences in morbidity between 1920 and 2020. Likely our current state of medical advance accounts for important reductions in potential deaths over the earlier pandemic. Things are not as bad as they could be, and the world is generally better equipped to handle this current situation than a century ago. In the US, life expectancy reached 78.8 in 2015, while it was less than 60 one hundred years ago. The race for a vaccine for COVID seems to be near the finish line. This is welcome news for many as the world awaits a return to normalcy, whatever normalcy may be in the coming months. Still, the threat level currently posed by the COVID-19 virus versus the importance of gathered worship is part of the discussion driving the closure of churches worldwide.

Christians have been hard hit in these troubling days. Churches have been closed or services and gatherings reduced in number and frequency. The celebration of the ordinances, weddings, funerals, fellowships, and conferences have all taken some sort of hit, with many of these events cancelled or moved to online venues. However, there are some things that churches cannot do online. Thus, churches are faced with the dilemma of following government-issued closure orders including reductions in meeting sizes and structure, e. g. no singing or, practicing civil disobedience.

This essay will not argue for or against the biblical or civil rationale for churches following or resisting government mandates. The article is simply intended to alert American believers of the shuttering of places of worship in Canada that seems more stringent than similar closures in the United States. Many Christians are familiar with the events at Grace Community Church and their defiance of Los Angeles mandates. That story is still unfolding as the pandemic continues. However, many American evangelicals have limited or no knowledge of churches to our north who are facing similar or more rigorous restrictions from various parts of the Canadian government. This is their story.

Having lived in Canada for nineteen years, I have a place in my heart for the “true north, strong and free.” I served in ministries in three provinces and have visited all Canadian provinces except the Yukon, a territory. Canada is a beautiful country with a rich history but politically, it is less conservative than the United States. The province of Ontario, where our final Canadian ministry occurred, has been under a very tight lockdown in recent days. One of my Windsor friends told me that if families not of the same household celebrated Christmas together in defiance of social distancing, they were subject to fines of $800. This kind of penalty would make family gatherings very expensive for most people. Churches, on the other hand, have had very severe restrictions in place for some time. Currently, funerals, weddings and religious services are limited to ten people, whether the meetings occur indoors or outdoors. These closures have been in place to varying degrees since the early days of the pandemic. Many went online to stay connected with their congregations. Then when churches were allowed to gather, limitations were put in place to enforce social distancing and the mask mandate. Churches were prohibited from singing. My former church would have a preaching service on Sunday mornings and then hold a brief outdoor song service, in an effort to comply with government orders.

While the internet allows pastors to maintain some connection with their congregations, there is nothing ideal about virtual church. Is this even church? Even if churches can do some things on the internet, they cannot do others. Celebrating the ordinances is difficult, even if it can be argued that this is acceptable. I know many churches have celebrated communion online, encouraging those who wish to participate to gather the elements at home and then partake when watching virtually. Some churches have told their members to take whatever they have at hand to use as elements. It need not be unleavened bread or the fruit of the vine. The nature of the elements is less important than the ceremony itself. Still, many churches will not offer communion in any fashion other than at corporate, in-person gatherings. Thus, churches feel overly restricted when they are barred from singing and the ordinances, both viewed as essential parts of corporate worship. Believers languish for want of the fellowship and encouragement that face-to-face assembly brings.

All of this has taken a toll on Canadian churches. Some church leaders have been pushing back. In May, Ontario pastors sent a letter to the premier, Doug Ford, and launched a website designed to explain their position on the importance of opening churches during this pandemic. More than four hundred and forty churches have signed the letter. The Orthodox Jewish community of Toronto also expressed concern about the synagogue closures as there are parts of their ritual that require the faithful to assemble. In September, a small group of Canadian pastors drafted The Niagara Declaration on religious liberty. One of these pastors is concerned that Canada is “on the brink” of criminalizing Christianity. (N.B. An issue before the Ontario Parliament now, unrelated to COVID-19, is “conversion therapy.” If Bill C-6 passes, it will significantly impact how Christians address the issue of gender identity. This is seen as a religious liberty issue.)

More recently, a protest was held on grounds of the Queen’s Park, location of Ontario’s Parliament building, drawing several hundred people representing churches concerned about the restrictions. A few churches have lately been gathering in defiance of government mandates because they feel they have the authority of assembly granted in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (equivalent to our Bill of Rights). Last Wednesday, the six elders of Trinity Bible Chapel of Waterloo, Ontario were issued summons by the Waterloo Regional Police for violating the government restrictions. The elders posted a public statement declaring their intention to practice civil disobedience and now face fines of up to $10,000 each. The pastor, Jacob Reaume released a statement on New Year’s Eve explaining the church’s position.

Trinity Bible is not alone in their opposition. Aaron Rock, lead pastor of Harvest Bible Church in Windsor, Ontario now faces a fine of between $750 and $100,000 for breaking the rules during Christmas week. Harvest issued their own statement of explanation. The church was to hold a Christmas Eve service but was informed that congregants would be barred from entering the building if they attempted to do so. Similar situations are occurring elsewhere in Canada. A pastor in Aylmer, Ontario has been charged and is facing severe fines for repeatedly defying government orders. Just yesterday, community members held a drive-in protest to express displeasure over the Aylmer church holding services. In early December, Spring Church of Winnipeg was fined more than $32,000 for holding drive-in services. Also charged in early December was Church of God, Sarto, Manitoba. In British Columbia’s Fraser Valley, the RCMP issued fines in excess of $18,000 to three churches for breaking provincial COVID rules.

The sentiments expressed by the above pastors and churches have caused division among the Canadian evangelical community. The Gospel Coalition website has posted a number of essays that are engaging this issue. Things are difficult in judging between duties to our earthly authorities and our heavenly authority. Paul Carter, lead pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Orilla, Ontario, has a helpful statement on civil disobedience not unlike the statement that came out of 9Marks earlier last year. Other essays may be found here and here. Professor Emeritus Stan Fowler of Heritage College and Seminary posted a short response to the protests arguing against the actions being taken by these protesting congregations.

It remains to be seen where all of these Christian interactions and legal matters will end up. The Canadian Church is divided on what should be done. The Canadian legal system has been decidedly more progressive than the American system for years. Will the various governments of Canada be successful in their efforts to enforce church compliance? Churches among our northern neighbors may be forced to close because of their inability to pay such heavy fines. A $100,000 fine is more than most churches could possibly pay. These levies are a big cudgel in the hands of civil authorities to bring churches to heel. This is not simply an issue of what is in the best interest of the public, but what is allowed by law. American churches have received some legal relief in their battle to stay open. It is to be hoped that our brethren in the north will find similar relief. Canada cannot afford to lose even one church under the heavy hand of government. God be merciful.

What about Christian protest in Canada? This is not likely to occur on a large scale over this issue. I remember a rally I attended on the steps of the Edmonton legislature in the mid-1980s when Calgary pastor Larry Jones was arrested for violating Alberta’s Schools Act for homeschooling his children without government permission. There was a call for public protest at the legislature, but only about two dozen people attended, mostly Alberta pastors. After a meeting between the deputy premier and the president of a Christian school group, Jones was released. The matter eventually went before Canada’s Supreme Court with Jones losing, but the court telling the province that they must “delicately and sensitively weigh the competing interests so as to respect as much as possible the religious convictions as guaranteed by the Charter.”

Will Canadian churches receive relief as these fines make their way through the Canadian legal system? One pastor told me that Christians and churches in his area are largely in agreement with the government rules. Still, some churches are opposed to them. These are difficult days for the church in Canada. Just how far they should go in civil obedience is a matter of contention. With respect to sanctifying one day over another, Paul concluded “each one should be fully convinced in his own mind” (Rom. 14:5). The same must surely be true regarding the opening of churches vs. their forced closure by the government. Let’s us pray for the mercy of God on our northern neighbours!

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Jeff Straub is a retired seminary professor who blogs at Learning to Number Our Days. Republished by permission.