Pastor Henry Hildebrandt of Church of God in Aylmer, ON, has paid off a $65,000 fine for holding an outdoor church service during the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to an earlier $274,000 fine. About 500 people attended an outdoor service at Church of God on June 6, 2021, landing the pastor a hefty fine in addition to a string of other charges related to Ontario’s pandemic restrictions. These included holding indoor services of more than 10 to 15 people. In May of 2021 a Superior Court judge ordered Hildebrandt’s church to be seized or pay the $274,000 fine. Hildebrandt pursued an appeal on the outdoor church service charges all the way to the Supreme Court, but Canada’s top judicial entity refused to hear the case last August. “It’s hard to believe that this is actually happening in Canada. This was during the COVID-19 time, when they fined us for having an outdoor church service,” said Hildebrandt, speaking in a video outside the Ontario Provincial Court of Offences after paying the fine. He noted about 60% of the fine was covered through crowdfunding contributions worldwide. Commenting on his own video, Hildebrandt acknowledged he has been asked why he would pay the fine. He said he and his church had no further recourse after the Supreme Court declined to their appeal. "The choices we had left was not pay and lose our property or give to Caesar what is Caesar's," said Hildebrandt, quoting Jesus in the New Testament. "We chose the latter.".Hildebrandt in the video pointed out people facing religious persecution around the world are told to come to Canada, where people are free to practice their religion. “Yet, in the last few years, we saw it was the exact opposite. We saw pastors dragged along the highway. Pastors were jailed. Pastors were fined.” “We complied (with the pandemic restrictions) at first, believing the government had our best interest in mind. And we look back and see it was a lie,” said Hildebrandt. .“We stood for what is right, what the charter tells us. Most of all, we stood on what the Word of God is telling us," said Hildebrandt. "We don’t regret the stand that we took. We were going what the Bible commands us to do — not to forsake the assembly of ourselves. The church must gather.” “Yes, we paid $65,000 for an outdoor service, but I am glad that we can look back and see that we were there for the people. When they needed us the most, we were there for them,” Hildebrandt said in a video posted to social media after he made the payment over the weekend. “Unfortunately, our justice system in this country when we needed them the most — they failed us.” .Hildebrandt in a local, St. Thomas court on August 24, 2023, pleaded guilty to holding an in-person service while pandemic restrictions, the Ontario Reopening Act, were in place. “I am guilty of obeying God rather than men,” Hildebrandt Justice Anna Marie Hampson. Upon Hildebrandt’s guilty plea last year, all other charges against him, his church, his family members and others were dropped.
Pastor Henry Hildebrandt of Church of God in Aylmer, ON, has paid off a $65,000 fine for holding an outdoor church service during the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to an earlier $274,000 fine. About 500 people attended an outdoor service at Church of God on June 6, 2021, landing the pastor a hefty fine in addition to a string of other charges related to Ontario’s pandemic restrictions. These included holding indoor services of more than 10 to 15 people. In May of 2021 a Superior Court judge ordered Hildebrandt’s church to be seized or pay the $274,000 fine. Hildebrandt pursued an appeal on the outdoor church service charges all the way to the Supreme Court, but Canada’s top judicial entity refused to hear the case last August. “It’s hard to believe that this is actually happening in Canada. This was during the COVID-19 time, when they fined us for having an outdoor church service,” said Hildebrandt, speaking in a video outside the Ontario Provincial Court of Offences after paying the fine. He noted about 60% of the fine was covered through crowdfunding contributions worldwide. Commenting on his own video, Hildebrandt acknowledged he has been asked why he would pay the fine. He said he and his church had no further recourse after the Supreme Court declined to their appeal. "The choices we had left was not pay and lose our property or give to Caesar what is Caesar's," said Hildebrandt, quoting Jesus in the New Testament. "We chose the latter.".Hildebrandt in the video pointed out people facing religious persecution around the world are told to come to Canada, where people are free to practice their religion. “Yet, in the last few years, we saw it was the exact opposite. We saw pastors dragged along the highway. Pastors were jailed. Pastors were fined.” “We complied (with the pandemic restrictions) at first, believing the government had our best interest in mind. And we look back and see it was a lie,” said Hildebrandt. .“We stood for what is right, what the charter tells us. Most of all, we stood on what the Word of God is telling us," said Hildebrandt. "We don’t regret the stand that we took. We were going what the Bible commands us to do — not to forsake the assembly of ourselves. The church must gather.” “Yes, we paid $65,000 for an outdoor service, but I am glad that we can look back and see that we were there for the people. When they needed us the most, we were there for them,” Hildebrandt said in a video posted to social media after he made the payment over the weekend. “Unfortunately, our justice system in this country when we needed them the most — they failed us.” .Hildebrandt in a local, St. Thomas court on August 24, 2023, pleaded guilty to holding an in-person service while pandemic restrictions, the Ontario Reopening Act, were in place. “I am guilty of obeying God rather than men,” Hildebrandt Justice Anna Marie Hampson. Upon Hildebrandt’s guilty plea last year, all other charges against him, his church, his family members and others were dropped.
