On Saturday, a Manitoba, Canada court ruled that a Winnipeg church cannot hold drive-in services as it is not exempt from public health orders.
According to CBC News, Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench Chief Justice Glenn Joyal rejected an application from Spring’s Church to hold services in its parking lot.
Joyal explained that "these orders necessarily restrict rights ... in order to prevent death, illness and the overwhelming of the public health system in Manitoba."
Two pastors of Springs Church were fined more than $32,000 for holding the drive-in services as it breached public health orders put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19.
While the church can hold virtual services, Kevin Williams, the church’s lawyer contended that remote services would cause irreparable harm to the congregants.
"Community is the backbone of religion," he argued.
Williams also debated the definition of assembly, noting the public health orders prohibit church drive-in services while allowing for drive-thru lines and open parking lots for groceries.
Joyal, however, explained that the orders weren’t made to restrict buying food or other essentials, even though it “may inevitably” involve interpersonal contact. He stressed that the order keeps large groups, such as churches, from assembling.
“The congregation attending in cars are persons,” the judge explained. “They are persons who have attended for a common purpose."
Heather Leonoff, representing the province, argued that approving Springs Church's exemption would create a dangerous precedent.
Joval agreed with Leonoff’s sentiments, as a "cascade" of religious organizations could also request exemptions.
He added that it would be “unfair” to grant an exemption to Springs Church while telling religious organizations to abide by the rules.
Joyal explained that Williams and the church were not able to provide evidence as to why the drive-in service is needed. While the judge acknowledged that remote services aren’t as community services, he asserted that there are no significant differences that would exempt the church.
Following Saturday’s ruling, Springs pastor Leon Fontaine told churchgoers not to come to the drive-in service on Saturday or Sunday.
Fontaine has been fined at least four times for a total of $5,000 for violating the public health orders.
In a video posted on the church’s Facebook page, he asked them to contact their elected officials to share their views on the drive-in service ban.
“I know that with the united voice of our community, regardless of your faith, we can show our elected politicians that they can innovate [and] keep COVID-19 measures in place, while looking for ways to safely bolster the spirit of our community and protect Canadian Charter rights," Fontaine said in the video.
He explained that the church was still deciding on what steps to take next.
"We have strategies, and we'll be coming to you with more details in coming days. We're not done yet,” Fontaine asserted.
The public health order is set to expire on Dec. 11.
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Metamorworks
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
