Pastor Tim Stephens on his acquittal, looming legal action and the growth of his church

Pastor Tim Stephens is one of the many Christian leaders in Alberta who was hammered by authorities for daring to keep their doors open to all during COVID-19. Along with folks like Pastors James Coates and Artur Pawlowski, Stephens paid a price for insisting that church was essential and that his Charter rights should be respected. In his case, that price was his church being locked down, two brutal arrests and spending weeks behind bars.

The heart-wrenching video we captured of Stephens' second arrest, during which his children wept and pled with the police to leave him alone, is to this day one of the most devastating moments we witnessed throughout the draconian government overreach that occurred during COVID-19.

So many people watched that video, and so many people saw Pastor Tim’s unshakable convictions and authentic Christian witness, that as with many churches who resisted the lockdowns, he saw hisattendance at his church skyrocket precisely as authorities tried to shut him down. Fairview Baptist, the church Stephens shepherds, grew so much that they were forced to buy a new building to ensure everyone could fit in on Sundays.

We joined Pastor Tim at his new church building to reflect on the experiences of the last few years, and to discuss the recent acquittal of all remaining charges against him and his church community as a result of the recent Ingram v. Alberta ruling. The ruling determined that the health orders under which Tim Stephens had been charged were not valid, and that based on a technicality, the Public Health Act had been breached.

Pastor Tim also shared his disappointment at the fact that the Ingram ruling acknowledged that fundamental rights were trampled, but that it was apparently acceptable because of the so-called pandemic. He also informed us that he will be taking legal action against those who unlawfully imprisoned him, as his first arrest resulted from an injunction that did not apply to him, in addition to being arrested twice and imprisoned without basis. We will have an update on that legal action with Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms president John Carpay in the coming days.

While many in Alberta are happy to be receiving news of acquittals, people elsewhere in Canada are still fighting the legal fights of their lives. Tamara Lich, who took on a critical leadership role in the Freedom Convoy, is set to face the courts this month. Fortunately she isn’t alone, as The Democracy Fund has agreed to crowdfund her legal battle. If you are able, please chip in at HelpTamara.com.