LONDON, ONT -- The Church of god in Aylmer Ont, has held a defiant church service this Sunday, following charges laid by Aylmer Police under Ontario's reopening act last week.
Youtube video posted by the church shows dozens of parishioners inside, without masks and foregoing physical distancing measures.
Church of God Pastor Henry Hildebrandt conducted the service as usual.
“Just so everyone hears this, and it’s on the record, we are not giving up!..I call on everyone on this property this morning, please don’t be violent, please don’t be violent, but resist in a non-violent fashion, unto death," Hildebrandt said in the video.
On Friday, Superior Court of Justice found the church and pastor Hildebrandt in contempt following a similar defiant service held last weekend.
Hildebrandt among other unnamed individuals have been charged under the reopening Ontario act by Aylmer police and are expected to appear in court in June of this year.
None of the charges have been proven in court.
At the very beginning of the service today, the church posted a statement in response to this past week’s developments.
It comes as the doors to Trinity Bible Chapel were locked for the weekend after a judge granted a temporary injunction.
The Church of God statement is as follows,
“The Christians answered and said, O Attorney General of the Province of Ontario, there is no need to go into and extended vindication of our conduct. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to turn the heart of the judge against you and not order our church doors to be closed. Our God will deliver us out of your hand.But if not, be it known unto thee, O Attorney General of the Province of Ontario, that we will not stop gathering as the church, nor will we bow down to the devastating “laws” the Health Department has set up.”
Aylmer police monitored the situation and have collected information to be reviewed at future court proceedings.
