Pastor defies restrictions, holds drive-in services
The Windsor pastor who has been charged with violating Ontario's lockdown restrictions on religious gatherings says he is being widely misunderstood.
“I'm not a virus denier. I'm not an anti-masker. I'm not a foolish man,” Aaron Rock, pastor of Windsor's Harvest Bible Church, said in an interview Saturday.
“I'm doing this for the sake of the community.”
Drive- in religious services were held for church members on Christmas Eve and Sunday morning.
Volunteers guided dozens of vehicles to parking spots in the church's lot in the west end. Rock's sermons were streamed online, with no attendees exiting their vehicles.
But Rock said the drive-in services were only held because Windsor police have forbidden him and his followers from entering the church after charging him under the Reopening Ontario Act for an in-person service held in the building Dec. 20.
“Of course, I haven't changed my view. I've been thrown over a barrel by the police department,” said Rock, 47.
According to Rock, the Harvest Bible Church building at 2001 Spring Garden Rd. has a capacity of 1,350 people.
The number of people who were inside the church on Dec. 20 was a fraction of that capacity, Rock said, less than 25 per cent.
“Our building is almost as big as Costco,” Rock said. “But the government is telling me I can only put 10 people in that building.”
“(Yet) I can take all my people over to Costco. It shows the state of our culture.”
People can go wander all through Costco, but they can't step into our church. PASTOR AARON ROCK
Under Ontario's COVID-19 lockdown rules, which went into effect in Windsor on Dec. 14 and provincewide on Dec. 26, religious gatherings of any kind are limited to 10 people indoors or outdoors, including officiants, parishioners and staff.
“People can go wander all through Costco, but they can't step into our church,” Rock told the Star.
In the time since Harvest Bible Church went public about the charge, thousands of dollars have been raised as a legal defence fund for Rock.
A Gofundme campaign started by Christian lecturer Tony Costa, a friend and colleague of Rock, had attracted more than $42,000 in donations, as of Monday afternoon.
“As this will be going to court, you can imagine the costs involved in retaining legal counsel,” Costa wrote for the Gofundme page, which has a stated goal of $50,000.
“Every amount we collect will go directly to Pastor Aaron.”
But Rock told the Star he doesn't care about the money, and the campaign was entirely Costa's initiative. “I'm prepared to lose my house, my retirement savings, for what I believe is right,” Rock said.
As for the criticism that the money could serve other purposes in the community, such as benefit the poor, Rock said: “That is what we do, as a church. That is why I'm in ministry. I spend my life reaching out to people.”
A Christian pastor since his youth and a holder of multiple Bible college degrees, Rock has been outspoken for months about his disagreement with government restrictions on religious gatherings. He participated in a “worship protest” at Queen's Park on Nov. 29.
On Christmas Eve, Dr. Wajid Ahmed of the Windsor-essex County Health Unit issued a statement reminding the community that celebrations this holiday season should be done safely.
“While many places of worship have voluntarily closed their doors during the COVID-19 pandemic, some plan to continue to offer in-person services,” Ahmed noted.
“Anyone offering or attending in-person religious or faith services in Windsor-essex must adhere to requirements under grey lockdown of Ontario's provincial framework and all local instructions and guidance to ensure our community stays healthy and safe.”
Ahmed added that fines for violators of the Reopening Ontario Act can range from $750 to $100,000.
Although religious gatherings of 10 people or fewer are permitted under the act, Ahmed said he is not recommending in-person gatherings “of any kind, due to the high risk of disease transmission.”
Ahmed advised all faith leaders to opt for virtual services only.
But Rock said those who think virtual religious services are the same as in-person services do not understand the nature of church.
“( Drive- in service) is not church,” Rock said. “People who don't go to church have this foolish idea that we are putting on some sort of a show. That as long as people can watch a sermon, that's church.
“But that is not church for us. That is a very small fraction of what we do. I feel like I'm banging my head against a wall because I have explained this to people over and over again.”
Rock said he believes Ahmed is singularly focused on “biotic” health, or the components of living organisms, to the exclusion of all else.
“My career is about mental health, spiritual health, social health, the entire holistic being,” Rock said. “There's this myopic focus in our culture. It's (only) about biotic health.”
In its statement about the charge against Rock, Harvest Bible Church of Windsor described the work of the church as “essential,” and scolded the premier and the provincial government as “irrational, illegal and irresponsible.”
“In the end, we will find ways to fulfil our Christian obligations, even if we are forced underground or to practice further civil disobedience,” the statement read.
Rock posted on Facebook that his resolve is “undiminished.”
“I am not discouraged, and I am unafraid,” he wrote. “Many have witnessed the bigotry, hatred and intellectual nonsense thrown at us over the past 24 hours. This assures that we are in a spiritual battle and must press on.”