Kelowna pastors hold protest in downtown Kelowna Sunday morning

Photo: Nicholas Johansen

Heather Lucier sings Amazing Grace to the crowd gathered in Kerry Park Sunday morning.

A few hundred people packed Kelowna's Kerry Park Sunday morning to protest the province's closures of indoor church services.

The “Let us worship” protest was organized by Art and Heather Lucier, pastors at the Kelowna Harvest Fellowship church on Highway 97 near Burtch Road. Despite the public health order closing all indoor service put in place last November, the local church has refused to stop hosting services, and they've received at least two $2,300 fines.

Sunday's protest was opened with a rendition of Amazing Grace by Heather Lucier, followed by Art Lucier speaking about his opposition to the public health orders.

He acknowledged the existence of the COVID-19 virus, but noted that it's “not right” that restaurants, Whistler ski resort and other businesses were able to remain open, while church services were banned. Both indoor dining at restaurants and Whistler have since been closed as new cases of COVID-19 have risen dramatically in recent weeks.

“We are now in our fifth month with no end in sight,” Lucier said. “I will never look to the government for freedom, we look to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms for our freedom, not Bonnie Henry ... ultimately, we look to God for our freedom."

The protest was a separate event from the weekly protests against COVID-19 measures that are held in Stuart Park every Saturday, as the Luciers' protest was specifically targeting the church closures.

“How is it that the institution that helps the broken, the needy, the addicts, the fearful, the lost, the institution that helps restore people, gets shut down while we can have wings next door unmasked, but I can't have anyone in there to have any type of service,” Lucier said. “How is that fair?”

Lucier told the crowd he's been hosting two in-person services every week “packed in a little tube,” and he claimed the illegal services have resulted in no COVID-19 transmission. While police had attended the Kelowna Harvest Church on several occasions back in December and January, it's unclear if police have continued their visits in recent months.

In March, B.C.'s chief Justice Christopher Hinkson dismissed a petition by several B.C. churches calling for an end to the ban on indoor services, arguing it infringed on Canadian's Charter rights. Hinkson ruled that while the orders did infringe on Canadian's religious freedoms, the orders "represent a reasonable and proportionate balance" given the global pandemic.

While protests were initially banned under the public health order, Dr. Henry altered the order in February to allow for outdoor protests. Hinkson later ruled that banning outdoor protests was unconstitutional.

Some Kelowna churches have spoken up in support of Dr. Henry and the ban on indoor services.

Last month, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced a plan to let places of worship hold a few indoor services for special occasions, but that plan was later scrapped as new cases rose dramatically.

A man named Mitch Murphy also spoke to the crowd Sunday, calling God the “ultimate health expert."

“We believe we are free through the blood of Christ and not through experimental jabs,” Murphy said, referring to the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.

Millions of doses of these vaccines have been administered around the world, and in B.C., these vaccines have played a significant role in almost eliminating all new COVID-19 deaths in long term care homes.

“We're not going to open our doors to these jab, we're going to open our doors and let Jesus in, man,” Murphy said.

Lucier also said Sunday's gathering was in support of Alberta's GraceLife Church, which was fenced off by Alberta Health Services after the church refused to stop holding in-person services.

“We need to open up, trust God and practice herd immunity,” Lucier said.

As of Friday, there were 9,574 active cases of the virus across B.C. and 332 people are hospitalized, 102 of whom are in critical care. To date, 1,495 British Columbians have died from the virus.