A Canadian pastor encouraged his congregants after a court order prohibited them from performing an in-person service on Sunday and forced to hold an online service instead.
A judge in Ontario ordered locking up Trinity Bible Chapel last weekend for violating the province's imposed capacity limit on churches. The local government also issued tickets to elders and the church itself. Its senior pastor, Jacob Reaume, contended that their resistance to the government's "nonsense protocols" was a display of their love for God.
In his statement posted on the church's website, Reaume addressed the authorities' actions against the church.
He recalled how they started as "wandering nomads," comparing themselves to Isaac when he was still searching for a place he could claim as his.
"Our March 29, 2015, I called our church to start praying for rehoboth. I was preaching Genesis 26:1-33 where God gave Isaac rehoboth. Isaac had been a wandering nomad for many years, and finally God gave him land. Rehoboth is the Hebrew word for "broad place" or 'room'," he began.
He continued by saying how God answered their prayer through the generosity of Northside Baptist Church in June 2019. He illustrated how they prepared the place until they started worshipping in their new worship center in June last year.
"In total we have spent about eleven months together in our facility. Given the very visible stand we have taken over the last several months for the crown rights of Jesus over His worship and His headship of His church, I believe that was God's perfect timing. He gave us exactly what we needed to accomplish the task He had for us," he further said.
He proceeded, stating about the court order to close their church.
"Today, a court granted the Province of Ontario the authority to take our facility, at least until next Saturday, with the option of trying to get it for longer by going to court once again this coming week. For some of those eleven months in our facility, we have met in contravention of provincial dictates."
The pastor questioned the move to close the church given the only small number of people infected with the virus. He said that the infection rate in the region is not a reasonable factor "to deem" that holding worship services is dangerous and close the door of their church.
This is the collection of police, bylaw, news media, and a locksmith that all showed up for the locking of our doors. pic.twitter.com/ECgW4RqvuB
"” Trinity Bible Chapel (@TBCWR) May 2, 2021
He also said that he does not discount the harm of the virus but that their situation in their area "doesn't line up with the hysteria whipped up by government and media, nor do the numbers warrant turning control of the Bride of Christ over to the Premier of Ontario."
"The purpose of this seizure is to prevent us from meeting as a church. They believe that we will continue meeting in our facility, no matter the fines or the public shame heaped on us. We are willing to pay any price necessary to worship our Saviour because He is worth it. He died for us, and we want Him to receive a reward for His suffering," he added.
Further, he mentioned how churches used to sing together, citing the song of Charles Wesley, "O For A Thousand Tongues to Sing." He said that they still do it today, only that their action costs them their worship center, illustrating how the government pursued against his congregants the previous week by issuing tickets to their elders and even the church itself, as well as conviction of their "second count of contempt of court". He then revealed that the congregation is facing more than $40 million fines and jail time.
"They took our building because they think that will stop us from worshipping," he continued.
He lamented the loss of their church, standing against government orders. He argued that compliance of those "nonsense protocols" would have forced them to surrender their facility to authorities but doing such would only mean conceding their "fellowship" and "worship."
Reaume also warned other churches that by submitting to the government's imposed pandemic rules, they have "voluntarily handed their buildings and their people and their worship over to Caesar."
"We've kept the church for Jesus. He who seeks to preserve his church will lose it, but he who loses the church for Christ's sake will keep it," he also said.
He continued by citing Hebrews 10:34.
He then declared that amidst all that happened, he is still happy knowing that their action only showed their love for God.
"I honestly do count it pure joy. In all of this I've wanted to personally prove my love for Christ by holding nothing from Him and paying whatever price necessary to lead His people to give Him the worship He deserves. We proved today that we love the Giver more than His gift. He gifted us a building."
Further, he said that by using the gift to "assert His supremacy over the church and give Him the worship He deserves", they are honoring God. Doing it may have cost them their gift, but the pastor said that "nothing can repay the debt of love [they] owe[d] to the One [Who] shed His blood for [them], giving [them] the irrevocable gift of forgiveness of sins and eternal life."
He then remembered some lyrics from the song "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross." Part of the song's lyrics say,
"Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all."
Reaume concluded with the passage from Job 1:21.
"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD," the verse says.
