Calgary Pastor Tim Stephens Arrested for Leading his Church

Calgary Pastor Tim Stephens was arrested in front of his family yesterday by Calgary Police on new charges because he did his job of leading the Master’s sheep in contravention of Caesar’s orders.

Last month, Alberta courts were forced to drop the charges against Pastor Stephens when it was discovered that they had served the legal papers to the wrong Tim Stephens, and that the papers were not actually valid against him or his church, but were specific to at restaurant in the area that had also been defying the COVID-19 lockdown dictates by Alberta Health Services (AHS) in the name of so-called public safety.

A police helicopter spotted the secret meeting of the outdoor gathering, and charges were prepared. Pastor Tim got a heads up briefly ahead of time, and rather than run like a coward, he chose to face the consequences like a man and greet the police that came to get him. Shortly before his arrest, he had time to tweet this:

Beloved, pray for those who are persecuted like you were there with them. In Canada, we soon will be, regardless of what The Gospel Coalition Canada calls this.

But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Matthew 5:44-45 (NASB)