GoFundMe for Pastor Charged for Breaking COVID-19 Lockdown Orders Surpasses $41,000

Supporters rally outside court as Pastor James Coates, of GraceLife Church, is in court to appeal the bail conditions, after he was arrested for holding day services in violation of COVID-19 rules in Edmonton, Alta., on March 4, 2021. Jason Franson/The Canadian Press

A fundraising campaign to support the legal fees of Pastor James Coates, who was jailed and charged for allegedly violating Alberta’s COVID-19 rules, has exceeded $41,000 since its launch in February.

The campaign, according to organizer John Klassen, was “simply hoping to in some small way be an encouragement to a brother who seemed to be a lone voice.”