Officials with Trinity Bible Chapel regain access to building
Posted Aug 23, 2021 11:30:00 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The locks are off, and officials are back inside Trinity Bible Chapel in Woolwich Township.
Associate Minister Will Schuurman posted a video to social media Sunday morning from inside the building, elated to be back after being locked out following a court injunction earlier this year.
With the access, King Alfred Academy will begin classes in the next couple of weeks.
It was late last month that a court found the church and its elders in contempt of court for a second time, and handed down a combined $85,000 in fines.
The decision also came with an order for the church to post a safety plan, show it will comply with Step 3 pandemic regulations and provide proof of such to the Attorney General's office.
BUILDING UPDATE: We have finally regained access to our building!! And just in time for the start of a new ministry year in September and for classes at King Alfred Academy to begin again in a couple of weeks. God is so good! Praise him! More info to come on the days ahead… pic.twitter.com/7PJA9KwbVA
— Trinity Bible Chapel (@TBCWR) August 22, 2021
Jorge Pineda, a lawyer representing the church, provided the following statement to 570 NEWS on Monday:
The Church property was unlocked pursuant to a July 27th, 2021 Court Order of Justice Krawchenko. That Order required that the Province open the doors upon Trinity Bible Chapel posting a Covid Safety Plan, which our client has now done. Formulating a mutually agreeable plan took some negotiation between our client and the Province. Frankly, it is difficult to be enthusiastic about the state of religious liberty in Ontario after seeing our client’s church locked for several months by court order at the request of the Province. However, in light of the Province's further request to the Court that the church doors remain locked until ALL Covid related restrictions on religious gatherings are lifted, we are relieved the property has finally been returned to Trinity Bible Chapel. There are no further court proceedings related to the locking of the church doors; however, we will continue to assist our client in protecting their rights against further heavy-handed government action.
On Tuesday, a spokesperson with the Ministry of the Attorney General, emailed 570 NEWS the following statement:
On Aug. 20, 2021, the Respondents agreed to the terms of a safety plan in accordance with the Reopening Ontario Act. On the same date, the safety plan was posted on the doors of the Church pursuant to the Court Order.
On Aug. 21, 2021, the doors to the church were unlocked.
