The Pastor's Blog

After seventeen nights in a Calgary prison, Pastor Tim Stephens was released on Thursday to be reunited with his family and church. Many saw the video of Calgary police officers ghoulishly arresting him in front his wife and eight children. He spent his anniversary and fathers’ day behind bars. His crime? He gathered his churchRead more

Our March 29, 2015, I called our church to start praying for rehoboth.  I was preaching Genesis 26:1-33 where God gave Isaac rehoboth.  Isaac had been a wandering nomad for many years, and finally God gave him land.  Rehoboth is the Hebrew word for “broad place” or “room.”  Up until that sermon, we as aRead more

We find ourselves in the middle of a fight for liberty.  The declaration of a pandemic in March 2020 led to fear within the general population.  The population, including many Christians, cried out to the state to save them from the perceived threat.  Fear and a cry of salvation to the state are ingredients forRead more

On Thursday, one of Waterloo Region’s by-law officers visited our church to hand deliver two new summonses to appear in court.  One summons is for Trinity Bible Chapel, and the other summons is for me.  Our offence?  We worshipped the risen Christ together on Resurrection Sunday. This is the church’s third summons.  Each summons toRead more

VARIOUS BLOGS AND SERMONS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER: Trinity Bible Chapel: A Conversation with JCCF lawyer James Kitchen, Pastor Jacob Reaume, and Pastor Aaron Rock, “Conflicting Duties: Christian Worship and the Magistrate’s Quarantine” on May 14, 2020.  It can be accessed here. Pastor Will Schuurman, Trinity Bible Chapel, “COVID-19 and Romans 13,” May 23, 2020.  AccessRead more

Our lender has frozen our line of credit and has reminded us that they can call our loan anytime.  Let me explain.  As a church we have been dealing with Kindred Credit Union (formerly Mennonite Credit Union) for many years.  Our relationship has been very friendly. When we took out our loan, we agreed toRead more

I will shape this little essay by acquainting the reader with a few characters present on scene at the trial of our Lord in Jerusalem.  Then, after those introductions, I will introduce you to some characters on our contemporary scene in Edmonton.  I suspect that when all the introductions are made we might draw someRead more

On January 22, 2021, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ordered that Trinity Bible Chapel and her elders not hold gatherings of more than 10 persons.  Upon receiving the order, I invited the community to church on January 24: People are lonely, afraid, despairing of life itself, and facing financial ruin, among many other deprivationsRead more