There can be no doubt COVID-19 restrictions have had an adverse and lasting effect on Canada’s churches..For example, in an effort to be perceived as good neighbours, most of Canada’s churches adhered rigorously to government regulations, closing services for weeks and months, and severely restricting attendance when reopened. Such churches suffered many losses..And today, long after most restraints have been lifted, it's doubtful any have fully recovered. Congregations are markedly smaller. Volunteer numbers are decimated, if not eliminated, leaving many church-supported ministries either struggling or non-existent. Moreover, reduced giving has forced staff layoffs, resulting in yet another form of reduced services. It appears the only churches that continue to thrive are those that managed to maintain a high degree of normality throughout the period, either by avoiding government notice or by openly defying its edicts.. Schafer ParkerSchafer Parker .My own church managed to avoid notice. In 2019 I became the interim pastor of a rural chapel some 100-km outside Calgary. Because this lovely little “church in the wildwood” had no telephone, it had gone unnoticed by Google Maps and, apparently, everyone else..Like most Canadian churches, when promised in 2020 two weeks would be enough to “flatten the curve” we suspended services. But when a fortnight passed and it became clear no “all clear” klaxon would be sounded, the church’s leadership decided to resume services. After all, the sanctuary was large enough our few regular attendees would have no trouble distancing themselves. And while no one would be prohibited from wearing a mask, neither would masks be required..Our “openness” was never advertised, but word got out, and within weeks people from all over were joining us for worship. They were, they declared, sick of the impersonal nature of streamed services, or the equally off-putting alternative of trying to worship in a place where enforced government rules made meaningful human connection almost non-existent..As attendance grew, distancing quickly became impossible, and, quite frankly, we stopped worrying about it. We were having too much fun worshiping and fellow-shipping together..Most amazing of all, among the newcomers a significant sub-group included young families coming to church for what amounted to their first time. They were doing it intentionally. A father who'd not attended church since boyhood said to me, “The moment I heard the government was shutting down the churches I knew it was an attack on all of us. I’m here because I had to take a stand.” He and his family are still taking a stand..Which raises a question. How will Canada’s churches march together after COVID? Will we be able to walk together? Or will we remain divided over the disagreements that arose from our varying responses to 2020? It is my hope that a period of reflection will result in a closer relationship between the churches than existed before..And if that seems impossible, then please read on while I try to explain..• Surely by now pastors and other church leaders have had a chance to reflect on governmental bureaucratic behaviour. Despite the well-meaning efforts of everyone involved, it should be clear by now in a time of stress governments did not put a priority on the things that make church possible, nor did they understand why at that time Canada needed churches more than ever..• I think we need to realize although a few officials acted with intentional malice toward Canadian society, most leaders, whether governmental or ecclesiastical, were doing the best they could to handle an unprecedented situation. It should not be hard for we who boast of reconciliation with Christ to give out plenty of mulligans for whatever happened over the past couple of years..• Surely all who love Christ’s church should rejoice at the opportunity afforded us by this interregnum between crises to educate those who hold authority. Delegations from churches should meet with city councils, medical professionals and administrators, legislators, and parliamentarians to help them realize the vital role churches play in protecting society from isolation sickness, purposelessness, depression, and other ills that have afflicted every stratum of society since the lockdowns..• We should learn again the principle that if something is wrong, even just a little bit, it should be squashed in its cradle. We should give another listen to those who early on began to point out parallels between Western government actions during COVID and the actions of rising totalitarians in previous centuries. If events have proven these people to be prophets, perhaps we should heed their warnings that if we do not act, even worse days may be just over the horizon.. Pastor James CoatesPastor James Coates, GraceLife Church, Spruce Grove, AB .• All of us should acknowledge the debt we owe those pastors and churches who, for conscience’s sake, stood upon their Charter rights and refused to agree provincial and federal governments were acting within the law. Their bold behaviour benefits everyone. A short and incomplete list includes Tim Stephens, pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Calgary, Alberta; James Coates, pastor of GraceLife Church in Edmonton, Alberta; Henry Hildebrandt, pastor of the Church of God in Aylmer, Ontario; and Jacob Reaume, pastor of Trinity Bible Chapel in Waterloo, Ontario. Thanks to the courage of these men and their flocks, doors have opened for dialogue with elected officials that simply never existed before..• We should also be grateful for the lawyers and law firms that stood up to defend the Charter Rights of these pastors and churches, not to mention a host of citizens who were fighting private battles against bureaucracies that sought to enforce an unnecessary conformity upon the entire citizenry. Many such freedom fighters rose to the occasion, but standouts among them are John Carpay and the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms..Based on the principle that a good offense is the best defense; I want to suggest one other way Canadian churches could stand together to force governments to realize their God-given significance..It is time to remind governments other pandemics are flourishing that are arguably more damaging to society than COVID. There are the twin scourges of euthanasia (medical assistance in dying) and abortion, not to mention the pornography and drugs that are killing the souls and bodies of our youth..In addition, we still have a duty to defend the Biblical view of the family, both inside and outside the church, and that means standing for basic Christian sexual morality at every level. There is never a time when God allows churches to wink at behaviour that has proven to be a death knell for every society where it has been allowed..It strikes me the more we work together to minister to society in these areas, the harder it will be for governments and bureaucrats to even think about ignoring us the next time an excuse arises..Calgary-based Shafer Parker pastored churches for more than 40 years, and in retirement remains an activist apologist for Bible-based Christianity.
There can be no doubt COVID-19 restrictions have had an adverse and lasting effect on Canada’s churches..For example, in an effort to be perceived as good neighbours, most of Canada’s churches adhered rigorously to government regulations, closing services for weeks and months, and severely restricting attendance when reopened. Such churches suffered many losses..And today, long after most restraints have been lifted, it's doubtful any have fully recovered. Congregations are markedly smaller. Volunteer numbers are decimated, if not eliminated, leaving many church-supported ministries either struggling or non-existent. Moreover, reduced giving has forced staff layoffs, resulting in yet another form of reduced services. It appears the only churches that continue to thrive are those that managed to maintain a high degree of normality throughout the period, either by avoiding government notice or by openly defying its edicts.. Schafer ParkerSchafer Parker .My own church managed to avoid notice. In 2019 I became the interim pastor of a rural chapel some 100-km outside Calgary. Because this lovely little “church in the wildwood” had no telephone, it had gone unnoticed by Google Maps and, apparently, everyone else..Like most Canadian churches, when promised in 2020 two weeks would be enough to “flatten the curve” we suspended services. But when a fortnight passed and it became clear no “all clear” klaxon would be sounded, the church’s leadership decided to resume services. After all, the sanctuary was large enough our few regular attendees would have no trouble distancing themselves. And while no one would be prohibited from wearing a mask, neither would masks be required..Our “openness” was never advertised, but word got out, and within weeks people from all over were joining us for worship. They were, they declared, sick of the impersonal nature of streamed services, or the equally off-putting alternative of trying to worship in a place where enforced government rules made meaningful human connection almost non-existent..As attendance grew, distancing quickly became impossible, and, quite frankly, we stopped worrying about it. We were having too much fun worshiping and fellow-shipping together..Most amazing of all, among the newcomers a significant sub-group included young families coming to church for what amounted to their first time. They were doing it intentionally. A father who'd not attended church since boyhood said to me, “The moment I heard the government was shutting down the churches I knew it was an attack on all of us. I’m here because I had to take a stand.” He and his family are still taking a stand..Which raises a question. How will Canada’s churches march together after COVID? Will we be able to walk together? Or will we remain divided over the disagreements that arose from our varying responses to 2020? It is my hope that a period of reflection will result in a closer relationship between the churches than existed before..And if that seems impossible, then please read on while I try to explain..• Surely by now pastors and other church leaders have had a chance to reflect on governmental bureaucratic behaviour. Despite the well-meaning efforts of everyone involved, it should be clear by now in a time of stress governments did not put a priority on the things that make church possible, nor did they understand why at that time Canada needed churches more than ever..• I think we need to realize although a few officials acted with intentional malice toward Canadian society, most leaders, whether governmental or ecclesiastical, were doing the best they could to handle an unprecedented situation. It should not be hard for we who boast of reconciliation with Christ to give out plenty of mulligans for whatever happened over the past couple of years..• Surely all who love Christ’s church should rejoice at the opportunity afforded us by this interregnum between crises to educate those who hold authority. Delegations from churches should meet with city councils, medical professionals and administrators, legislators, and parliamentarians to help them realize the vital role churches play in protecting society from isolation sickness, purposelessness, depression, and other ills that have afflicted every stratum of society since the lockdowns..• We should learn again the principle that if something is wrong, even just a little bit, it should be squashed in its cradle. We should give another listen to those who early on began to point out parallels between Western government actions during COVID and the actions of rising totalitarians in previous centuries. If events have proven these people to be prophets, perhaps we should heed their warnings that if we do not act, even worse days may be just over the horizon.. Pastor James CoatesPastor James Coates, GraceLife Church, Spruce Grove, AB .• All of us should acknowledge the debt we owe those pastors and churches who, for conscience’s sake, stood upon their Charter rights and refused to agree provincial and federal governments were acting within the law. Their bold behaviour benefits everyone. A short and incomplete list includes Tim Stephens, pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Calgary, Alberta; James Coates, pastor of GraceLife Church in Edmonton, Alberta; Henry Hildebrandt, pastor of the Church of God in Aylmer, Ontario; and Jacob Reaume, pastor of Trinity Bible Chapel in Waterloo, Ontario. Thanks to the courage of these men and their flocks, doors have opened for dialogue with elected officials that simply never existed before..• We should also be grateful for the lawyers and law firms that stood up to defend the Charter Rights of these pastors and churches, not to mention a host of citizens who were fighting private battles against bureaucracies that sought to enforce an unnecessary conformity upon the entire citizenry. Many such freedom fighters rose to the occasion, but standouts among them are John Carpay and the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms..Based on the principle that a good offense is the best defense; I want to suggest one other way Canadian churches could stand together to force governments to realize their God-given significance..It is time to remind governments other pandemics are flourishing that are arguably more damaging to society than COVID. There are the twin scourges of euthanasia (medical assistance in dying) and abortion, not to mention the pornography and drugs that are killing the souls and bodies of our youth..In addition, we still have a duty to defend the Biblical view of the family, both inside and outside the church, and that means standing for basic Christian sexual morality at every level. There is never a time when God allows churches to wink at behaviour that has proven to be a death knell for every society where it has been allowed..It strikes me the more we work together to minister to society in these areas, the harder it will be for governments and bureaucrats to even think about ignoring us the next time an excuse arises..Calgary-based Shafer Parker pastored churches for more than 40 years, and in retirement remains an activist apologist for Bible-based Christianity.
