WARMINGTON: Drive-in churches given green light

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Published May 17, 2020 • 2 minute read

Parishioners packed the parking lot of the Church of God in Aylmer, Ontario on Sunday April 26, 2020. In defiance of an order by the town's chief of police, the church held a drive-in service Sunday morning. Hundreds of parishioners sat in parked vehicles watching Hildebrandt on stage and listening to his sermon over their FM radios. Police video taped the event but have not yet laid charges. Photo by Derek Ruttan /Derek Ruttan/London Free Press

The Lord works in mysterious ways.

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And the Ford listens.

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In fact the premier now says people can preach and accept the good word of God not just in front of their computer or TV screens at home but from their church’s parking lot too.

Call it drive-in church, parking lot preaching or takeout Christianity. Call it whatever you like.

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But call it legal in Ontario.

The Sun has learned at 4:15 p.m. Saturday the Premier Doug Ford government signed into law the right for Christians, missing so many services in light of the COVID-10 pandemic, to able to attend in-car services as long as they don’t get out of their cars and interact with people.

Not long ago police in Ontario were charging for such a thing. However, just 24-hours after Ford was on a conference call with several hundred pastors Friday, came the decision that many congregations had been praying for.

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They can congregate but from within their cars. An Order in Council directive, signed by Ford, amends the “organized public event” section to now says any “religious service” can have a “gathering” as long as it is respectful of the social distancing standards.

People and the vehicles must stay two metres apart.

It means no more $1,000 ticket threats and gives Christians a chance to attend service after several months of not being able to. There will be no policing videotaping worshippers as we saw last month in Aylmer.

Pastor Henry Hildebrandt delivers a sermon during a drive-in service at The Church of God in Aylmer, Ont. on Sunday May 10, 2020. People in nearly 100 parked vehicles listened to the service on their FM radios. Photo by Derek Ruttan /The London Free Press/Postmedia Network

It was an answer to many Christians’ prayers.

“You prayed yesterday, God heard your petition and the premier acted immediately, approving church services held in our parking lots as long as the congregation stays in their cars and obeys social distancing,” said Rev. Dr. Charles McVety of Canada Christian College. “Prayer is powerful so keep it up.”

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The allowance of pavement parishes comes just 24 hours after Ford was in a “powerful and spiritual” virtual Zoom call meeting with more than 1,160 Ontario pastors Friday.

Several churches are set to move forward on the new order by having special drive-in sermons starting this Sunday. It’s an accommodation that comes after many Mosques have been given the right in their communities to broadcast the Islamic call to prayer Adhan once a day at mosques during Ramadan.

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But this one seems more aimed at Christian Churches who have felt this approach was a win-win that should prevent the spread of COIVD 19. Some of the churches expected to conduct drive-in church services this Sunda are Kingdom Worship Centre, Hamilton, the Lakeside Christian Centre, Whitby and the Church of God, in Aylmer where this craze began in the first place.

“This is a very important initiative,” said McVety. “The premier is listening to the needs of the community and responding with action.”

The Drive-in Church service in Ontario is an example that has Christians praising the Ford.

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