04-04-2021
After spending a month behind bars for holding in-person worship services in violation of government capacity mandates, Canadian Pastor James Coates was released from jail with thunderous applause.
Coates, a pastor at GraceLife Church in Edmonton, Alberta, shared the powerful moment during an interview with Rebel News’ Sheila Gunn Reid. As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.
“Just to kind of show the affection that we had for each other, in the moment I was leaving, I turned around … and I lifted up my hand to wave,” he recalled, “and the doors of the pod began to shake as the men in their cells just banged on their doors as a sign of support, love, [and] affection.”
GoFundMe page raises over $45K to pay legal fees for Canadian pastor battling worship restriction charges
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Canadian pastor jailed for violating restrictions to be released
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03-15-2021
Prison Cell
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the details of Canadian Pastor James Coates’ situation behind bars. The original version of this story shared an inaccurate report claiming Coates was in solitary confinement.
When he was first incarcerated in mid-February, Canadian Pastor James Coates was quarantined for two weeks and had only two 15-minute blocks outside his jail cell, according to his wife, Erin.
Coates’ wife told Faithwire via email that her husband initially shared his cell with another man. He was removed, though, due to the “high profile” nature of the GraceLife Church minister’s case. Coates, she said, “spent the majority of the two weeks alone.”