Calgary Pastor Jailed During Pandemic Reflects After Being Acquitted on Charges

Screenshot of a video taken on May 16, 2021, showing pastor Tim Stephens, of Fairview Baptist Church in Calgary, Alberta, hugging his children before he was taken away by the local police. Stephens was arrested for violating the provincial public health order limiting social gatherings amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms

After dozens of court dates, three weeks in prison, and seven public health tickets, Calgary Pastor Tim Stephens says he is relieved after having been acquitted of all remaining charges on Nov. 1.

Stephens made the comments to The Epoch Times in an interview the day Alberta Provincial Court Judge Allen A. Fradsham declared the pastor of Calgary’s Fairview Baptist Church not guilty of “failing to comply with an order of a medical officer of health.”