New Brunswick pastor apologizes after week in jail over COVID-19 rule breaches
A New Brunswick pastor is free after spending a week in jail and apologizing to the courts Friday for breaches of COVID-19 public health rules.
Philip James Hutchings, the pastor of His Tabernacle Family Church in Saint John, repeatedly apologized in the Court of Queen's Bench and agreed to sign an undertaking stating he understands the health rules and will comply.
Hutchings was found in contempt for not abiding by a consent order signed Oct. 8 requiring his congregants to follow health orders such as masking.
Lawyers for the province say Hutchings held a service two days later where people were seen leaving the church without masks, and health officials were barred from entering.
"My apologies your honour," Hutchings said in court Friday in a low voice while wearing a mask. "I intend to comply." Justice Hugh McLellan was quick to point out that Hutchings also said he would comply two weeks earlier but didn't.
The judge went on to detail how Hutchings and members of his congregation were seen leaving the church without masks, and enforcement officers were stopped by security guards and not allowed to enter the church. He noted that Hutchings then went on social media and mocked the provincial inspectors and boasted that he and congregants held a "packed service" at a new location.
"Do you see how that affects your credibility?" the judge asked. Hutchings asked for another chance, noting that every batter gets three strikes.
That prompted McLellan to start listing the pastor's actions in recent weeks, quipping "I'm losing track of how many strikes there are." He asked if Hutchings has considered that he may be misleading people -- to which Hutchings apologized again.
The judge said words were not enough and drafted an undertaking for Hutchings to sign to say he understands the provincial rules and will comply with them. New Brunswick public health rules require church congregants to wear masks. The law also requires that congregants either show proof of vaccination or keep socially distanced and that they not sing during services, which can be held at up to 50 per cent capacity.
The judge released a consent order declaring that Hutchings was in contempt of the Oct. 8 order and setting the punishment at seven days imprisonment, which has been served. The pastor had been detained since a court hearing last Friday.
McLellan also wants other officers of the church to be bound by the undertaking and has ordered Hutchings, his wife and two other officers to appear in his courtroom on Oct. 29 to sign a similar consent order.
Hutchings told the court his next few services will be conducted online.
The pastor did not speak with reporters as he left the courthouse or with supporters who waved signs that had images of masks and syringes and read "Be Brave! Do Not Comply with Discriminatory Orders and Mandates." One of the supporters, fellow pastor Ken Gilliard, said he doesn't believe there is a pandemic. "We are preaching freedom," he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.