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Police in Aylmer, Ont., consulting with Crown about church's drive-in services

AYLMER, Ont. — Police in Aylmer, Ont., say they're consulting with prosecutors on how to proceed with a local church that continues to defy the province's emergency orders.

The Aylmer Police Service says the Church of God has held a Sunday service three times since the orders were issued to try and slow the spread of COVID-19.

Police said they received 15 complaints about the emergency order being breached on April 19 and they spoke with church organizers on several occasions to find alternatives.

However, police said the church held another service this past Sunday and approximately 61 cars were in attendance.

No arrests have been made, but police said an investigator has been assigned to the case and a detailed briefing package was submitted to the Crown attorney's office.

"Aylmer Police Service respects everyone's rights to a peaceful assembly for the purposes of freedom of expression and religious beliefs," police said in a statement. "For this reason, we are taking a measured and least intrusive approach in dealing with this community issue."

Pastor Henry Hildebrandt, who has been preaching to his congregation from a raised platform in the church's parking lot, with worshippers listening to the service over the radio in their cars, said he understands that police have a job to do.

"Obviously, we don't look at it the same way. To us, it's very clear that no law was broken whatsoever," Hildebrandt said in an interview.  

Hildebrandt said police were aware of his services before the complaints and that there had been no issues until that point.

He said he intends to continue holding the drive-in services because it's important to his congregation.

"It makes a world of a difference if you can see the person that's speaking to you," said Hildebrandt. "It also makes a difference that they can wave at each other and at the end of the service they can drive by and wave at the little children.

"We're just not made to sit at home and listen to somebody speak at us."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2020.

The Canadian Press


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