{"id":579864,"date":"2021-07-02T12:51:20","date_gmt":"2021-07-02T16:51:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=579864"},"modified":"2021-07-02T12:51:23","modified_gmt":"2021-07-02T16:51:23","slug":"watch-jailed-canadian-pastor-tim-stephens-released-after-international-attention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-jailed-canadian-pastor-tim-stephens-released-after-international-attention\/","title":{"rendered":"WATCH: Jailed Canadian Pastor Tim Stephens Released After International Attention"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwatch-jailed-canadian-pastor-tim-stephens-released-after-international-attention%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=579864&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Screen-Shot-2021-07-02-at-10.51.38-AM-scaled-1.jpg?w=1200&amp;h=800&amp;ixlib=react-9.0.3\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p>Pastor Tim Stephens of Calgary, Alberta, who was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/give-unto-caesar-alberta-pastor-jailed-again-after-police-helicopter-finds-secret-church-gathering-officer-quotes-jesus-to-justify-arrest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">jailed<\/a> last month after a police helicopter found his outdoor church service, was released from prison Thursday after his case drew international attention.<\/p>\n<p>Stephens\u2019 jail sentence at the maximum-security Calgary Remand Centre had reportedly been extended to July 12 last week, but the court order under which he was arrested was rescinded on July 1 as Alberta <a href=\"https:\/\/edmontonjournal.com\/news\/local-news\/alberta-lifts-nearly-all-covid-19-rules-in-stage-3-releases-guidelines-for-workplace-safety-and-kids-activities\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">enters<\/a> into Stage 3 of its mandatory COVID-19 rules.<\/p>\n<p>In an interview with Rebel News, which also captured footage of him as he reunited with his family, Stephens expressed gratitude. \u201cToday is a very thankful day,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m thankful that the restrictions are done and rescinded, including the court orders that go along with that.\u201d He also thanked his legal counsel at the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, as well as those in the community who supported him and his family.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related<\/strong>: <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/judge-finds-canadian-pastor-guilty-of-contempt-for-holding-worship-services-other-pastor-has-jail-sentence-extended\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Judge Finds Canadian Pastor Guilty Of Contempt For Holding Worship Services; Other Pastor Has Jail Sentence Extended<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut most of all, I\u2019m thankful for God, I\u2019m thankful that he\u2019s built his church, that he\u2019s sustained our church at Fairview Baptist Church. I\u2019m thankful that he strengthened me, my wife, and our family, and that through this people have come to know the saving love of the Lord Jesus Christ through this. People have been strengthened in this country and around the world, and so for these many reasons I\u2019m thankful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He added \u201cthere is still a road ahead of us for justice, for truth, for our province[.]\u201d<\/p>\n<p>WATCH:<\/p>\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Pastor Tim Stephens Released From Calgary Remand Centre\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oPYaGulhL9k?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<p>As The Daily Wire <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/give-unto-caesar-alberta-pastor-jailed-again-after-police-helicopter-finds-secret-church-gathering-officer-quotes-jesus-to-justify-arrest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">reported<\/a>, Stephens made international headlines when Calgary Police showed up at his house to arrest him a second time after a police helicopter found where his church was gathering outside after authorities locked his church building.<\/p>\n<p>After blaming the pastor for creating the unpleasant situation, the arresting officer suggested that obeying Alberta\u2019s lockdown order was like when Jesus said Jews should pay taxes to the Roman government. \u201cEven God said, you know, \u2018Give unto Caesar what is Caesar\u2019s,\u2019 right? So we\u2019re not getting into this philosophical debate,\u201d he argued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd the gathering of the church is not Caesar\u2019s,\u201d Stephens retorted. \u201cSo that\u2019s why we\u2019re gathering.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Despite his release and the repeal of the court order, Stephens faces another court date on July 14. Also facing an upcoming court date is Pastor Artur Pawlowski, who recently <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/gorkecjv32Y?t=860\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">told<\/a> Fox News host Jeanine Pirro that he faces potentially four years in prison for holding church services in violation of Alberta\u2019s Public Health Act. In addition to being found guilty of contempt of court order, Pawlowski explained that he has also been found guilty of \u201cinciting people to come to church.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) recently&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/i-am-troubled-sen-hawley-asks-u-s-commission-on-international-religious-freedom-to-add-canada-to-watch-list\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">urged<\/a> the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uscirf.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">USCIRF<\/a>) to consider adding Canada to its watch list because of how the country has treated pastors and churches in the name of COVID-19.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrankly, I would expect this sort of religious crackdown in Communist China, not in a prominent Western nation like Canada. Canadian authorities\u2019 arrest of faith leaders and seizure of church property, among other enforcement actions, appear to constitute systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom,\u201d Hawley wrote in part.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related<\/strong>: <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/watch-new-documentary-details-government-crackdown-on-canadian-christians-likens-to-communist-china\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">WATCH: New Documentary Details Government Crackdown On Canadian Christians, Likens To Communist China<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><i>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\"><i>member<\/i><\/a><i>.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pastor Tim Stephens of Calgary, Alberta, who was jailed last month after a police helicopter found his outdoor church service, was released from prison Thursday after his case drew international &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2313914,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Screen-Shot-2021-07-02-at-10.51.38-AM-scaled-1.jpg?w=1200&h=800&ixlib=react-9.0.3","fifu_image_alt":"WATCH: Jailed Canadian Pastor Tim Stephens Released After International Attention","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-579864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Screen-Shot-2021-07-02-at-10.51.38-AM-scaled-1.jpg?w=1200&h=800&ixlib=react-9.0.3","fifu_image_alt":"WATCH: Jailed Canadian Pastor Tim Stephens Released After International Attention","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/579864","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=579864"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/579864\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2313914"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=579864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=579864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=579864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}