His Tabernacle Family Church operates out of an events venue on Rockland Road, seen in this image capture from 2019. (Image: © 2021 Google)
A Saint John church has been ordered to close its doors to the public after allegedly violating the province’s COVID-19 measures.
His Tabernacle Family Church posted a photo to Twitter on Monday of a hand-delivered letter from the Department of Public Safety.
“Public Safety has issued closure of our church doors even after we complied,” lead pastor Phil Hutchings wrote in a Facebook post on Monday.
The letter, dated Oct. 11, said the church violated sections 3 and 15 of the province’s mandatory order and may have breached a recent court order.
Section 3 of the mandatory order requires faith venues to ensure everyone shows proof of full vaccination. If not, they must hold services at 50 per cent capacity, prevent singing, and keep a record of every person attending.
Under Section 15, peace officers are authorized to enter faith venues to ensure compliance with the order, and can serve an order on any person found not in compliance.
“Failure to comply with this order may result in prosecution that may include fines up to $20,400,” said the letter from Public Safety.
Health Minster Dorothy Shephard confirmed Tuesday that the church was the only one of 63 visited by peace officers this weekend that was found to be non-compliant with the mandatory order.
“Investigations are ongoing and matters are before the courts,” Shephard said during a news conference.
The Department of Public Safety sent a nearly identical statement when asked for comment on Tuesday.
The letter to His Tabernacle Family Church came one day after Public Safety officers attended a gathering Sunday at the church, which was operating out of an events venue on Rockland Road.
A video posted by Hutchings shows an officer telling an individual — who is identified as the church’s associate pastor — that they are obstructing by not allowing peace officers into the building and are under arrest.
The individual is then led away from the church by other officers and placed in the front seat of a vehicle.
Officers can be heard asking two other people, including one wearing a “Security” tag around their neck, if they have the ability to allow them into the church. Both individuals said no and one declined to give his name, even though an officer said they are required to identify themselves under the mandatory order.
Our newsroom reached out to Hutchings and the church for comment but did not receive a response.
A photo of the letter His Tabernacle Family Church said it received from the Department of Public Safety on Oct. 11, 2021. (Image: Twitter/His Tabernacle Canada)
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