Posts by Tim Stephens (Page 8)

Introduction This is now my 17th day in prison. I’m in prison because I’m unwilling to compromise my convictions before God and allow the state to dictate the manner of worship and fellowship in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Imprisonment is a painful experience. You are away from all of your loved ones and much of life that brings pleasure and purpose. There are physical, mental and spiritual challenges to be faced each day. Yet, my experience in…

Introduction Equipped with the bible, and in a cell 23 hours a day, you can read a lot of Scripture. Of interest, of course, are Paul’s letters written from prison. In fact, the Bible has much to say about imprisonment in both old and new testaments – something that stands out as I read it in my present circumstances. One portion I want to draw to your attention is when Paul speaks about the shame of imprisonment in his second…

Mr. Premier and MLAs, I write this from my jail cell in the Calgary Remand Centre. The past week I’ve missed my wedding anniversary and Fathers’ Day. My children will remember this Fathers’ Day as a time when they wept over the phone as I did my best to stay composed before other inmates while expressing my love for my children. Your government has wrongfully put me on the horns of a dilemma. Either I forsake my convictions before God,…

To Premier Jason Kenney and the UCP Party, Thank you for working for the good of Alberta. Mr. Premier, I and many others in my circles supported you, helped you create the United Conservative Party, and then become our Premier. I watched your victory speech on election night. You ended your victory speech in this way: “Alberta is an idea. An idea of a society that believes deeply in the dignity of the human person, and in a great tradition…

Our provincial leaders announced new COVID19 restrictions Monday evening. These restrictions have been introduced in an effort to reduce transmission of COVID19 to avoid the risk where hospitals across our province may be overwhelmed. Under these new measures, churches are limited to a maximum occupancy of 15 people for (at least) the next three weeks. From the beginning of the COVID19 crisis, I’ve written a number of articles addressing some of the most pressing issues we face as a church. Our course…

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…

Over the last few weeks we’ve been considering whether Romans 13 and 14 can help us navigate the issues we are facing with COVID-19 and government restrictions. You can read those articles here and here. Today we look specifically at Romans 14 and seek to apply its truths to our situation. Romans 14:1–12 says, “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats…

Last week we began our consideration on whether Romans 13 or 14 are passages that help us navigate through COVID-19 and the questions we are facing now. I asked you to read Romans 12 through 14 to get familiar with the contents of those chapters. Today, I’m considering Romans 13 in context and asking: Does this passage address the issues of our day? To begin we must remember that the chapter numbers “13” or “14” were not put there by the apostle…

I was asked these questions by a reporter recently and thought it helpful to share my responses publicly and in their entirety. Will you be holding in-person service(s) this Sunday? For how much longer? Yes. We have resumed our regular services and will continue them indefinitely. How many people attend or will attend the service? Do you intend to adhere to the 15% capacity rule? Masking? We had a full church on Sunday and expect attendance to increase each week.…

This is the first part of a multipart article on Romans 13-14 and church unity during COVID. Christ is Lord over the church. Period. All Christians will agree on this point. If you are hesitant to affirm this or pondering about qualifying that statement, I’m fearful that current events have unseated the primacy of Christ, not only in the church, but also in your heart. The confession “Jesus Christ is Lord” is foundational to Christianity. Men and women were thrown…

We know many have a hard time understanding Christians who desire to gather during this health crisis. We’re accused of being selfish and unloving, overly political, and eager lawbreakers. Christians have great admiration for our government, law enforcement, doctors, nurses, and those who serve in these and other ways. We love God, we love our neighbors, and earnestly desire to see God’s justice, mercy, and kindness hold sway in our city and province. We understand the dangers of COVID-19 but…