A small town congregation's defiance of COVID-19 public health orders and the community's surveillance of parishioners have created a toxic environment that could come to a head Friday when a judge decides whether to lock the doors of the Church of God in Aylmer, Ont.
Author of the article: Jane Sims • The London Free Press
Publishing date: May 13, 2021 • 1 hour ago • 6 minute read • Church of God Pastor Henry Hildebrandt arrives at the Aylmer church Thursday morning, where he was joined by dozens of congregants, just as a nearby court was deliberating whether its doors should be looked due to flagrant defiance of Ontario s laws against indoor gatherings amid COVID-19. Photo taken May 13, 2021. (Mike Hensen/The London Free Press)
Article content
The “toxic environment in Aylmer,” created as a provocative preacher and his congregation defy public-health orders during the pandemic, is weighing heavily on the judge deciding how to punish the church.
Author of the article: Doug Schmidt
Publishing date: May 12, 2021 • 2 hours ago • 2 minute read Shots fired! In this Sept. 17, 2018 file photo, police officers are shown investigating at the scene of a confrontation between a man with a shotgun and Windsor cops responding to a domestic call for assistance at the Countryside Village trailer park off Division Road. Photo by Dax Melmer /Windsor Star
Article content
A Windsor man who barely survived being shot twice in the chest by city police three years ago pleaded guilty Wednesday to having triggered the violence in the first place by threatening two officers with a shotgun.
Article content
Found in contempt of court Friday for flouting COVID-19 rules, a provocative Southwestern Ontario pastor was thankful his church wasn’t locked by authorities, but isn’t backing down, insisting “we must be bold for God.”
Last weekend’s indoor gathering at the Church of God in Aylmer led to the contempt findings in court in St. Thomas against Pastor Henry Hildebrandt, his assistant pastor and the corporation.
We apologize, but this video has failed to load.
Try refreshing your browser, or Aylmer pastor sees a win despite judge s contempt ruling Back to video
But the often-defiant Hildebrandt and some of his supporters, including independent MP Derek Sloan from Eastern Ontario, still found victory in the face of the ruling, tweeting and expressing thanks the judge did not grant a request for an injunction to padlock the church.
Aylmer pastor sees a win despite judge s contempt ruling lfpress.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from lfpress.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.