Paul, an apostle who was imprisoned for several years. The Sunday sermon, delivered by associate pastor Jacob Spenst, reflected on the biblical story of St. The parking lot at GraceLife Church in Parkland County was packed on Sunday, March 28, the first time Pastor James Coates addressed the congregation in person since his release from jail. The church has been regularly defying those orders since December, with hundreds of people attending services despite a closure order issued by Alberta Health Services in January. Provincial regulations to prevent the spread of COVID-19 restrict in-person attendance at churches to 15 per cent capacity and call for congregants to physically distance and wear masks.
Pastor james coates in jail full#
The parking lot was full of vehicles, though it is not known how many worshippers were in attendance. "I'm excited to hug you, embrace you and express my love and affection to you in a personal way," Coates told the assembled worshippers. James Coates addressed the congregation and delivered the opening and closing prayers at GraceLife Church, located west of Edmonton in Parkland County.
Pastor james coates in jail trial#
His three-day trial is set to begin May 3.For the first time in six weeks, an Alberta pastor charged with breaking provincial health restrictions addressed his flock in person on Sunday, during a service where his 35-day incarceration was compared to the years-long imprisonment of St. He could be released as early as Monday when he has a hearing scheduled. "That's what worries me right now is if you put enough of this misinformation or half information, distorted information, into the public sphere – it becomes very, very difficult to discern the truth," he said.īoth Alberta Health Services and the Government of Alberta's health ministry declined to comment on the interview.Īll but one charge has been dropped against Coates. Gorman said Carlson's show has a "clear agenda" and called it "propaganda journalism" – a type of media he believes is being shared far too often.
Is that tyranny or is that my stupidity?" He talked about 'obvious tyranny.' Well, you know if I've got a parking ticket, I refuse to pay it, I'm going to jail. "I think he used the word 'shocking' three times. "He put words in her mouth, he asked closed-ended questions, he didn't pursue questions," Brian Gorman told CTV News Edmonton.
'IT WAS APPALLING': JOURNALISM INSTRUCTORĪ MacEwan University journalism professor – with about three decades of field experience – called the interview "appalling." RCMP and AHS also said they witnessed masking and distancing rules being broken at GraceLife. He ignored warnings to limit in-person attendance at his services and – after he was arrested and charged under the Public Health Act – he refused to agree to conditions which would have seen his release. "We have an absolute real enemy and he uses people to target the ministers of god."Ĭarlson said a grown man sitting in prison for "preaching a sermon" was "obvious tyranny."Īt no point during the segment, did he outline exactly what Coates' was arrested and charged for. "We have a real enemy who really hates the lord Jesus Christ and really hates the blood, body that he purchased on the cross and has given new life to," she told Carlson. "It's a shocking story," Carlson said in his introduction to an interview he conducted with Coates' wife Erin.ĭuring the interview, Erin called her husband a bible teacher and theologian who "is not able to shepherd the people he loves." She said jail has "been hard on him" and blamed an unnamed enemy for targeting her husband.
16 after refusing to follow Alberta's public health rules regarding places of worship during the pandemic.
Tucker Carlson dedicated three-and-a-half minutes of his show Thursday to the story of GraceLife Church's James Coates.Ĭoates has been in jail since Feb. The juggernaut primetime American opinion show Tucker Carlson Tonight – which garners an average of four million viewers a day – is shining a light on the case of a controversial pastor in the Edmonton area.
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