A Coquitlam pastor is part of a group of 38 church leaders across B.C. who have signed a letter saying they are “deeply disappointed” in faith leaders who have criticized and flouted the mandates of provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We wanted them to know their voices don’t speak for us,” said Rev. Eric Krushel of Coquitlam’s Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.
Instead, the letter stated, “We fully support the work you have done throughout 2020 and appreciate your calm, considerate guidance and wisdom as you work to keep us all safe.”
Pastors from as close as Surrey, Richmond and North Vancouver, and as far away as Victoria, Kelowna and Prince George, signed the letter.
OTHER CHURCHES FLOUT HEALTH ORDERS
The letter comes as a handful of churches across the province continue to defy public health orders. In the lead up to Christmas, RCMP said they had issued over $18,400 in tickets to three churches in the Fraser Valley that were holding gatherings. Another church in Langley has reportedly been fined multiple times in recent weeks.
On Wednesday, a Kelowna church was fined $2,300 for hosting a large in-person gathering, with church leaders saying they would continue to defy health orders.
"We feel the church is an absolutely essential service at this time, and as pastors of this congregation, we feel we need to look out for the people. So, we are going to continue to do what we're doing," Heather Lucier, pastor at the Harvest Ministries International church told Castanet, a Tri-City News sister publication.
"We've been around for 18 years... and, we're just going to keep having church as long as we can, and as long as we feel there's a need. And clearly there is."
In-person church services have been banned since November as part of a series of measures to stem the transmission of the coronavirus.
Exceptions include time-limited events, like baptisms, weddings and funerals. Without an associated reception, they can proceed with up to 10 people at the service.
‘IT’S OUR IMPERATIVE AS CHRISTIANS’
In following the province’s health orders, Coquitlam’s Good Shepherd Lutheran Church has turned to regularly calling its congregation, prerecording worship services and posting them to YouTube ,and running Bible study as well as prayer meetings through Zoom.
Even memorial services have been held in a semi-virtual environment, combining a small group of mourners with livestream. At the end of the service, family members get a chance to connect with everyone on the call, some from as far away as the United States.
“Yes, it has been strange, it’s been weird, it’s been disorienting,” said Krushel. “But we’ve found these ways to keep connected.”
“It’s our lifeblood, it’s what we do. It nurtures us.”
While Krushel was the only church leader from the Tri-Cities among the 38 signatories of the letter, he said “our views would represent the vast majority of the faith leaders.”
And for those who have chosen to openly disregard public health orders, Krushel said he understands their grief but has a simple message:
“It’s our imperative as Christians to care for one another, to love one another,” he said. “The primary way we can express that is following what our experts are telling us, listen to their advice and not to gather.”
— With files from Castanet
