Obey God, or obey government? Pastor fined $2,300 for “non-compliant” church services

By Drea Humphrey
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February 01, 2021

Fight The Fines

Reporting on and fighting the pandemic fines.

This past Saturday, I bumped into a bold pastor with a contagious smile, who was preaching the gospel to all the passerby in front of B.C.’s Vancouver Art Gallery.

Pastor David Marks also told me the shameful news that recently, he was fined a whopping $2,300 for preaching in an online service. There were only around 10 people present at the “scene of the crime,” a good portion of them responsible for ensuring the online service ran smoothly.

B.C.’s discriminatory COVID-19 restrictions that restrict religious gatherings — while leaving pot shops, indoor fun parks and busy malls open — are so out of control that now, even pastors like Marks who are trying to comply with them are subject to tyrannical fines that go against our fundamental right to freedom of religious expression.

In addition to those who were working at the service the day Marks was fined, there were also a handful of people who had showed up with a need to worship in person. According to the BC Centre for Disease Control, British Columbians “can still visit places that host worship or spiritual practices for individual activities such as contemplation, meditation, personal prayer, or worship with a covid plan in place.” So what exactly was this $2,300 fine for?

Pastor Marks has had the opportunity to preach in many places around the world, and says that the church is currently less free in Canada than it is in other places, even Russia. He was taken aback by this fine, and you can click to watch the full report to find out why.

And make sure to click here to watch my report on the Kelowna Harvest Fellowship in B.C. that proves why churches are essential.

If you are a pastor, congregant or any citizen who has received a tyrannical fine related to COVID-19, tell us your story at fightthefines.com, and we will set you up with a top notch lawyer to fight your fines at no cost to you.

If you are able to donate to support our legal clinic that has now taken on the fines of over 1,000 Canadians, please donate at fightthefines.com.

Spread the Word!