The persecution of Christians in Canada is worse than anywhere else in the Western world, and it's getting worse by the day. Pastor Henry Hildebrandt, a Christian leader in the province of Alberta, Canada, is serving a seven-year sentence for building a church without a permit.
00:44:20.820People are seeking Christian principle worship.
00:44:23.820Pastor Arthur Pawlowski said that he might have 12, 20, 30 people that he worshiped with at street church join him for worship on Saturday.
00:44:48.820But our friendship has grown through this time as we've kind of have the exact same convictions about the church.
00:44:54.820And as we've walked through this journey and the threats of enforcement that have come against us.
00:44:59.820And so our friendship has really, really grown through this time.
00:45:02.820So we can get down to the arrest, I suppose, what actually went down that day.
00:45:09.820First off, though, you talked about the increasing pressure on the church.
00:45:13.820And it's come out very recently that apparently Tyler Shandro specifically instructed that specific people who are considered high profile offenders be targeted.
00:45:21.820Have you felt that there's been a targeted persecution against you or other Christian pastors specifically?
00:45:26.820What's sort of your impression on what's been going on?
00:45:29.820What's interesting is there's been a few voices that have been vocal against us, whether that's on Twitter or in the media.
00:45:35.820But for the most part, what we've heard from people in the community and from people who've been contacting our church is mostly positive.
00:45:43.820People are very supportive of what we're doing. And so it's been it's been difficult that way in knowing that there are a few but very powerful people who stand against us.
00:45:53.820But yet you have a wide base of support among Albertans in general.
00:45:57.820And we are our church at Fairview is is right in Minister Shandro's writing.
00:46:02.820And so I've written to him many times. I've written to the premier over this last year.
00:46:07.820But but all of the correspondence has essentially gone unanswered, just just simple emails back.
00:46:13.820Basically, here are the guidelines you need to comply.
00:46:16.820And it seems I've noticed even talking to Pastor Arter that they seem to offer all of branches when they know they won't be received.
00:46:23.820And then yourself and James Coates have both sort of endeavored to have these communications with the government and they've gone unanswered.
00:46:29.820So that's extremely problematic. All this pressure, of course, culminated on Sunday after worship.
00:46:35.820And we saw the sort of daunting footage of police corning your family.
00:46:38.820Maybe you could just tell us what that experience was like for you.
00:46:41.820Yeah, it was it was a bit of a shock because what happened earlier that week, in fact, the previous Sunday, the police came, I believe, to serve me the injunction.
00:46:50.820But they actually gave it to somebody else. I found out later.
00:46:53.820So I had never seen that copy of the injunction.
00:46:56.820But then as the week developed, the Justice Center of Constitutional Freedoms, which represents myself and James Coates, they went to court and essentially had that.
00:47:06.820At least the intention was to have that restraining order or that court injunction narrowed down just to be the whistle stop and those connected with the whistle stop.
00:47:14.820And so going into Sunday, we thought this is going to be a Sunday where we'll be free from any harassment from the authorities.
00:47:20.820And so we had a great time of worship and fellowship together as a church.
00:47:24.820And then in the parking lot afterwards, the police were still around but hadn't come out of their vehicles.
00:47:29.820We weren't sure what they're there to do.
00:47:31.820And I got a phone call from a sergeant who was back in an office somewhere saying, you know, Pastor Stevens, you will be arrested today.
00:47:37.820And he wanted my my wife and my children to leave for their sake.
00:47:41.820And I said, no, I prefer to have my wife and children here.
00:47:45.820And he was very insistent that they ought to leave.
00:47:48.820And so he let me talk to my wife for a bit. He said, I'll phone you back in a few minutes.
00:47:51.820And so I went and told my wife, he says, well, I'm not leaving.
00:47:54.820And so he called back and I said, no, my family is going to stay here.
00:47:58.820And I think it it wasn't necessarily that they were concerned about the trauma to the children.
00:48:03.820I think they were concerned about the image that would be upon the Calgary police.
00:48:06.820And I've I've pleaded with some of the officers.
00:48:09.820I know the Calgary Police Service is recognized as a great police service and to see the things that are going on today.
00:48:16.820I'm just hoping that it doesn't ruin their reputation, you know, for a long time that they're part of of, you know, ripping a father away from his family and his eight children who are in tears.
00:48:26.820Because I held a church service and brought me to the remand center where I spent, you know, two nights there when when there's been no harm done from our church to the community.
00:48:38.820There was no crime. There was nothing deserving of jail. And yet they would be part of that.
00:48:45.820Well, and particularly the show of force, if an officer walked up to you and said you're under arrest, you wouldn't fight them.
00:48:51.820You're a peaceful man. You follow the example of Christ in that instance, two SWAT vehicles and five SUVs and helicopters flying overhead.
00:48:59.820I mean, in all these cases, there's been a clearly disproportionate show of force as though they're attempting to make an example of you.
00:49:05.820So I appreciate that. I know lots of officers are struggling with this. Lots of Calgary police are having a tough time enforcing these measures.
00:49:12.820But one of the other concerns that other pastors have mentioned was the treatment once actually in jail.
00:49:17.820So if you can tell us about what your experience was actually like at court and then and then actually being placed in prison for leading worship.
00:49:23.820Yeah, the difficult thing about going to to jail and specifically the remand center, because I was held in a in a in a holding cell at the police station for a few hours before going to remand.
00:49:35.820And remand is a maximum security prison.
00:49:38.820And so whether you're a pastor going to church or whether you're a ruthless murderer, you're in the same spot and you're treated the exact same way.
00:49:47.820And so whether that's a strip search, whether that's being held in shackles, all of that is is is part of it.
00:49:53.820The most most difficult thing about it is when you're in there and especially even because of covid, you have so little contact with your lawyers or with those on the outside.
00:50:03.820And so going in even into my hearing on Monday, I asked the remand center and then again at the courthouse to speak to my lawyer.
00:50:10.820But because of covid, my lawyer wasn't actually there and there was no way to communicate.
00:50:14.820And some of the guards weren't that helpful.
00:50:18.820And so I went into that that trial or that hearing without even being able to contact my lawyer beforehand.
00:50:24.820So I just felt like this was just adding to the injustice of it that they would put me there.
00:50:29.820And then that I would really have no no way to to vocalize to my legal defense, you know, what we should be doing as we stand before that judge.
00:50:37.820And you're not the first person. Numerous pastors have had avoided a day to speak to their lawyer, which is an extremely concerning thing to consider.
00:50:46.820As far as your experience, you have a right to talk to your lawyer and they grant that to the most extreme criminals and thugs.
00:50:52.820And here a pastor can't even speak to his lawyer to decide how to go forward.
00:50:55.820Maybe talk now about your experience within remand, actually what that was like for you.
00:51:00.820Yeah, well, they they asked if I what section of remand I wanted to go in.
00:51:05.820There's a few different options and I didn't really know. I've never been any experience being in prison before.
00:51:09.820And so I was put into general population, which is essentially, you know, there is there is a pod with a few tables and then cells on a lower level and an upper level.
00:51:19.820And so I was placed on a cell in the upper level and I had a roommate.
00:51:22.820And because we were we were, you know, new to the remand center, both of us, we were on quarantine because of as a covid.
00:51:30.820And so if I was to stay there for any length of time, essentially you get half hour out of your cell and during that day.
00:51:37.820And so once you're in there, at least at least in the remand, you had you had a few blankets and a thin pad to sleep on.
00:51:43.820The holding cells didn't have any of those those luxuries.
00:51:46.820But so you essentially were there in your room.
00:51:50.820And another another challenge of being in remand is there's not really instructions or an awareness of really what's going on.
00:51:59.820And so essentially you just wait for someone to tell you what to do.
00:52:02.820And then you hope that what you've done is not the wrong thing to do.
00:52:06.820And so you kind of just muddle your way around trying to figure out when is it time to go or when they're going to bring food or when you can call.
00:52:14.820And so that was part of the challenge is not knowing what's going on.
00:52:17.820And so as a Christian, you're prepared and willing to face those consequences for your faith.
00:52:22.820But did you ever think that in Canada, in Calgary, in this this hub of freedom, strong and free, you'd be you'd be stuck in such a situation just for living out your faith?
00:52:30.820No, it is. It is really incredible to believe this has happened here in Calgary, here in Alberta.
00:52:36.820I know other pastors across this country and they had always viewed Alberta as like the land of the free, that if it got too bad in their province, that they would come to Alberta to a place of freedom.
00:52:48.820And then to know that here in Alberta, they've jailed now three pastors and this is not over yet.
00:52:53.820I don't imagine this is going to end anytime soon.
00:52:56.820There's been a real real change and shift in the political landscape, even among conservatives about the role of the government and about the use of force and enforcement.
00:53:05.820And so I'm continually shocked that I'm in this place as a pastor seeking to to care for my flock and care for my family.
00:53:13.820You know, Jason Kenney mentioned in his victory speech that Alberta is an idea where where responsibility is given to the people rather than an impersonal bureaucratic state.
00:53:23.820And what we're seeing now is an impersonal bureaucratic state, you know, govern the life of my family to tell me who I can have in my home, actually forbid anybody from coming in my home where I ought to go, forbidding or restricting what we do as a church to worship.
00:53:38.820And so these are clear violations of not only the scriptures, but they're clear violations of our charter rights and freedoms.
00:53:45.820And they've been continuing month after month after month.
00:53:48.820There's no recourse. The courts are so slow. Our politicians are not answering.
00:53:53.820And so what recourse do we have but to continue to live our lives as peacefully and as best that we can in the face of such, you know, really a totalitarian kind of government that is encroaching upon the citizens of Alberta.
00:54:08.820And it's incredible. I can't believe it.
00:54:10.820So in the face of all this, I think most pastors have sent some sort of message to Jason Kenney, and it seems that he's not listening.
00:54:17.820So I'll ask you instead for a final remark to your fellow Christians throughout the province.
00:54:22.820To my fellow Christians, I would just encourage them to obey Christ first and foremost.
00:54:29.820I know a lot of Christians have given much deference to the government as month and month has gone by.
00:54:35.820But I would encourage you to where is that line before you must say, no, I will obey Christ here.
00:54:41.820I will practice hospitality. I will go and I'll practice the ordinances.
00:55:22.820I have a valid court order here today requiring the sheriff, that's me, and the assistance of the police to vacate everyone from the building and we will be locking the building.
00:55:36.820Historic moment, folks. Historic moment. It's very historic.
00:55:42.820What's happening here right now, you would have never thought, you would have never thought that this country could so fast slide into something like this.
00:55:50.820Young people, what you're seeing with your eyes here this morning, this is what happens.
00:55:54.820This is what happens when you don't guard. This is what happens when you let those things slip.
00:55:59.820Let's open up the businesses. Let's allow people to live and if there is an issue somewhere and if the virus is somewhere in an area, let's be careful.
00:56:09.820We will isolate like we did here at the beginning when they said we need to flatten the curve, which probably now is one of the most popular words in the dictionary.
00:56:18.820Flatten the curve. We did that. We closed down. But then very soon we found out there was something else behind it.
00:56:24.820And I am standing up for humanity at the peril of my life, whatever it takes.
00:56:30.820We have the Bible, like I said. We have the Charter. We have the Bill of Rights. We have the Criminal Code. What else do I need?
00:56:38.820Let us just be real Canadians. Like the Honourable Diefenbaker said, let us be free Canadians. Let's worship God.
00:56:45.820Let the people worship God, those that want to worship God. And let the businesses open up. Let the families live. Don't torture them any longer.
00:56:52.820David Menzies for Rebel News here in Elmer, Ontario. And folks, I'm once again back at the Church of God.
00:57:04.820As you might notice, its sign has been vandalized by the oh-so-tolerant pro-lockdown people.
00:57:12.820And I regret to inform you that the Church of God on Friday, well, a judge agreed that it was time to put new locks on the exterior doors of the church.
00:57:29.820This is for allegedly continually violating the COVID-19 orders.
00:57:35.820Along with that order came fines of $117,000, including legal fees, to this church.
00:57:44.820And no, the church does not have that kind of money laying around in the collection plate.
00:57:50.820But as they say in show business, the show, or in this case the service, must go on.
00:57:57.820People are going to congregate outside.
00:58:00.820We're going to be here with Pastor Henry Hildebrandt.
00:59:42.820I can't wait for the day where one of our premiers will rise up and act burly.
00:59:46.820Can't wait for one of them to get up and say enough is enough.
00:59:56.820Well, folks, I'm with Pastor Henry Hildebrandt.
01:00:00.820First of all, Pastor, awesome service, very appreciative crowd.
01:00:05.820I want to touch upon what you said at one point, which I think is so profound and is really the crux of the matter.
01:00:12.820And that is we have a legion of unelected, non-accountable public health officials that are suddenly invested with powers that they never should have had,
01:00:27.820including, in your case and in many others, going to a judge and getting your church, your place of worship locked down,
01:00:35.820having locksmiths come in and lock you out of your own church.
01:09:13.820So this just empowers us and tells us this is what the human family should be doing.
01:09:17.820I mean, listen to the children. Listen to the young people.
01:09:20.820I mean, listen to the birds. They're joining right in.
01:09:22.820This is just what humanity should be doing.
01:09:25.820And you know, Pastor, on that note, I kind of have some fear in my heart for you in terms of the fact that we know the people, the haters, the mainstream media, the police observing today's service.
01:09:37.820They don't like what you've done. I am fearful they will ramp up your harassment, the intimidation on you.
01:09:45.820You might be the next Pastor Arthur Pawlowski. Are you afraid about that?
01:09:50.820I'll say this very respectfully. I am not afraid of it.
01:09:55.820If I did not have God, I would quit today.
01:09:59.820But because I have God, the Bible says in multiple, multiple, multiple places, what shall man do unto me?
01:10:07.820If my when my turn comes and I need to go to jail, then I'll go to jail.
01:10:12.820If my faith is not worth dying for, it's not worth living for.
01:10:16.820Well said. And Pastor, you know, again, I want to focus on the double standards at play here.
01:10:23.820You can't have a church service at your Church of God.
01:10:26.820And yet I believe it's 300, 400 meters down the road here.
01:10:30.820There's a no for all supermarket. I don't begrudge their open. Heck, we need food.
01:10:33.820Absolutely. Right. But if we go right now, I bet you it's filled to capacity.
01:10:38.820There's a lineup waiting to go outside the door.
01:10:40.820Again, we're always told that science driving these initiatives.
01:10:45.820How is it that I can't go to a church, but I can get into a big box store and the virus won't affect me?
01:11:19.820I mean, if we go back a century ago in this province, it was prohibition.
01:11:22.820You had to go to something called a speakeasy, a room where illegal booze was served.
01:11:27.820Now, not only is liquor legal, but the government runs the booze racket
01:11:32.820and exempts themselves from the COVID-19 closure regulations.
01:11:38.820The new speakeasies are our churches, our gyms, you know, places where people go for the health of the body
01:11:44.820and the health of the spirit and the mind.
01:11:46.820Don't you find this perversely ironic how things have just gone so upside down in the space of a century?
01:11:53.820Very, very ironic. Very ironic. And I think that is part of the reason why people are waking up
01:11:59.820because it is just too obvious. It's just too obvious.
01:12:02.820Why is that open and this not? What is going on here?
01:12:05.820So I look at things by nature. I'm a positive person. I look at things positively.
01:12:11.820So I don't want to believe. I don't want to believe that it is an attack on churches.
01:12:16.820But it just is because they're making it so obvious that we see that it is.
01:12:21.820And the double standard is really, really bad.
01:12:23.820When we find out that the judges are somewhere in holidays or this one is traveling
01:12:28.820and we weren't supposed to travel. And then all I can say is if Jesus was here,
01:12:34.820he would show them, he would tell them, you hypocrite. And that's what I don't hate them.
01:12:39.820I don't hate them. I don't hate them. I mean, I'm glad somebody's traveling.
01:12:42.820I wish we all could do it. But don't tell us you can't. But this can be done.
01:12:46.820I'm wondering what has been the personal toll all this harassment and intimidation has taken on you and your family members?
01:12:56.820Well, like you said, I'm a human being. These are arms, not wings. So it does hurt.
01:13:03.820It does hurt when they lock the building. It does hurt when they harass you.
01:13:07.820It does hurt when they put all kinds of posters in town and all kinds of lies about you and all kinds of spread, all kinds of things.
01:13:14.820It does hurt when they show things to our children and grandchildren that are very, very, very unbecoming.
01:13:21.820It does hurt. But it has strengthened my resolve. It has assured me that I'm doing something right or else they wouldn't oppose it so strongly.
01:13:30.820And I can say today that I can look at them. I do not feel hatred. I can look them in the eye.
01:13:37.820But I can say to the officer, I said, sir, just so you know, I'm standing up for your children and your grandchildren.
01:13:43.820OK, well, Pastor, the last word goes to you. To all those, whether it's law enforcement, judges, public health officials, protesters, haters online,
01:13:53.820to all those that want to see your church shut down, your congregation denied a place to worship, what do you have to say to them?
01:14:02.820Well, I would say don't be jealous of us. Just do the same. Just do the same. Open up. Let's open up the businesses.
01:14:09.820Let's allow people to live. And if there is an issue somewhere and if the virus is somewhere in an area, let's be careful.
01:14:17.820We will isolate like we did here at the beginning when they said we need to flatten the curve, which probably now is one of the most popular words in the dictionary.
01:14:26.820Flatten the curve. We did that. We closed down. But then very soon we found out there was something else behind it.
01:14:32.820And I am standing up for humanity at the peril of my life, whatever it takes. We have the Bible.
01:14:39.820Like I said, we have the charter. We have the Bill of Rights. We have the criminal code.
01:14:44.820What else do I need? Let us just be real Canadians. Like the Honourable Diefenbaker said, let us be free Canadians.
01:14:51.820Let's worship God. Let the people worship God, those that want to worship God.
01:14:55.820And let the businesses open up. Let the families live. Don't torture them any longer.
01:15:00.820OK, so this morning we are here as legal as you can get.
01:15:05.820I mean, I'm a Canadian. My name is in here and I'm a free Canadian, free to worship God, free to stand for what is right.
01:15:15.820Listen, the Constitution was created to protect the people from the government, not the other way around, not the other way around, not the way around, not the other way around.
01:15:27.820So we have the charter on our side. It says first, the very beginning, God is supreme and you will be worshipped.
01:15:37.820Listen, when our fathers came here, they said, let's make sure that no tyrants will ever, ever, ever do something.
01:15:44.820And they said, let's make sure we have it first, free to worship God, free to assemble, got the Bill of Rights right here.
01:15:52.820And if that wasn't enough, is there another one? Yes. So call criminal code.
01:15:58.820And it says, if any judge, sorry, not judge, if anybody ever interferes with the people worshipping God, they are in contravention of the criminal code.
01:16:08.820Well, folks, I'm with Salim Mansour. You probably recognize the name in the face.
01:16:14.820He ran for the People's Party of Canada in London.
01:16:18.820Salim, what did you make of the pastor's remarks today?
01:16:21.820I found it fascinating, and I think he was bang on, that we have unelected, non-accountable health officials going to judges and basically turning law-abiding citizens into criminals for things like this, a gathering.
01:16:38.820The pastor's voice has become the trumpet of all of our voices that we cannot voice it.
01:16:44.820And pastor is, you know, broadcasting what tens and thousands and millions of Canadians deep in their heart feel and feel not at this moment, but for the past one year.
01:16:58.820There's nothing been like this before in our history, you know.
01:17:01.820And yes, yes, unelected health officials are imposing their distorted view of their Mickey Mouse science and making an experiment out of the people of Canada.
01:17:15.820And the worst criminals are our elected representatives.
01:17:19.820Do you see, in terms of Pastor Hildebrandt, this situation escalating?
01:17:24.820I'm sure, you know, the authorities, the police, the mainstream media, they're going to take a dim view of this gathering.
01:17:31.820Is that what awaits this pastor being dragged away in a police car?
01:20:41.820And how can this just be swept away and normalized by all the institutions from police chiefs to politicians and the government and the opposition to the media to lawyers and courts and law professors?
01:20:54.820Is that how easily we give up on these freedoms?