To the honorable Premier and Members of Alberta’s Legislative Assembly,
I am the pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Calgary. We have stood with GraceLife church and other Christians who desire to see our fundamental freedoms protected by our government.
The government wants to protect the health care system whereas our highest law calls upon the government to protect our fundamental freedoms of religion, assembly, conscience, and so forth.
Through openalbertachurches.com and in partnership with the national, multi-pronged initiative libertycoalitioncanada.com there are 20 churches across Alberta (representing thousands of Albertans) and more than 65 churches nationally that will be freely and fully open this weekend. We cannot allow government imposed restrictions to dictate how we worship and interact as families in contradiction to the commandments of the King of all kings, the Lord Jesus Christ. We honor you and pray for you, but we must obey God when you ask us to forsake what He has commanded.
Besides the 20 churches full and publicly open, at least that many are quietly meeting without following the latest health orders. I hear of growing unrest in other churches as consciences are calling people to worship the Lord in freedom, according to His word.
Whether publicly open or not, our desire is to please our Lord first and foremost and not dictate the conscience of people for a virus with a high recovery rate that only affects a small portion of our population.
I expect more will join us each week.
It is time to open Alberta and give people both freedom and responsibility over their own health.
1) Do it for the sake of conscience. Premier Kenney, in an excellent speech, you said how important freedom of conscience is: https://www.convivium.ca/articles/conscience-versus-the-spirit-of-the-age
2) Do it for the sake of the poor and disadvantaged. As a pastor, I minister to the poor and disadvantaged. They have not been ravaged by COVID-19, but by lockdowns and restrictions. The wealthy with multiple safety nets don’t feel the pain caused by these lockdowns. How many more overdoses? How many more depressed? How many more disillusioned youth? Please, as one who deals with the fallout of major decisions made by a few people, help these weak and vulnerable!
3) Do it for the sake of humanity. We are not a social experiment. We are not made for the health care system, it is made for us. We have been imprisoned for a year for the sake of a health system in which we could have expanded. Faces, our very identity, are covered. How humiliating and dehumanizing. We are not the masses, we are not just organisms, we are human beings made in the image of God with dignity, value, and worth. We were made to be responsible and free creatures.
4) Do it for your own sake. If this continues, you will lose your base. You will split the right. You will pave the way for further vote splitting.
5) Do it for the sake of righteousness and judgment. God’s law grants people responsibility and fundamental freedoms. You will stand before God to give an account of how you have ruled our province.
Thank you for considering these matters. I pray for all of you and hope that you stand for truth, freedom, and responsibility.
Tim Stephens
Senior Pastor, Fairview Baptist Church
www.fairviewbaptistchurch.ca
T2H 1C4