Ontario Pastor Who Defied COVID Measures Pleads Guilty to Resolve Charges

Ontario Pastor Who Defied COVID Measures Pleads Guilty to Resolve Charges
Pastor Henry Hildebrandt speaks at a demonstration against measures taken by public health authorities to curb the spread of COVID-19, in St. Thomas, Ont., on Nov. 14, 2020. Geoff Robins/The Canadian Press
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Aylmer’s Church of God Pastor Henry Hildebrandt says he has pleaded guilty to one count of violating pandemic rules, accepting a deal so that his other charges will be dropped.

“I admitted today to one count of obeying God rather than man. I freely admit that we violated the Reopening Ontario Act, an act which brazenly violated Section 2 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” the pastor said in a video he posted on Aug. 24 to X, formerly known as Twitter.