Aylmer pastor's son charged following drive-in mass

The Church of God in Aylmer will hold another drive-in service this Sunday despite facing a charge for one held on the weekend, the pastor's son vows.

“They're definitely continuing,” Herbert Hildebrandt said.

Hildebrandt, 37, the son of Church of God pastor Henry Hildebrandt, was charged with violating the Reopening Ontario Act by Aylmer police following Sunday's drive-in service at which some people gathered in the church parking lot outside of vehicles.

Aylmer police said a similar summons will be served on the church.

Hildebrandt was one of four church officials in Southwestern Ontario charged over gatherings that didn't comply with rules that prohibit indoor gatherings and limit outdoor gatherings to 10 people. Drive-in religious services are permitted under certain conditions under the stricter restrictions that went into effect Saturday when the province began a four-week lockdown to slow the spread of COVID-19.

In Aylmer, a convoy of pro-mask demonstrators parked on the side of the road near the Church of God while the drive-in service was being held. Tensions in the town 40 kilometres southeast of London have flared at previous protests and counter-demonstrations in the community.

Herbert Hildebrandt said he was keeping an eye on the protesters near the church when police charged him with hosting an outdoor gathering exceeding the permitted limit.

“I'm not the pastor. I don't have an official position ... but I'm the host now?” he said, questioning why police gave him the summons to appear in court Jan. 14.

Hildebrandt and an Aylmer woman were charged under the Reopening Ontario Act for their alleged role in organizing Freedom March on Nov. 7 in Aylmer that drew more than 2,000 people.

Earlier this month, he was charged with assaulting an 84-yearold man following a confrontation between two men over pro-mask signs put up on private property near the Church of God.

Under the emergency law, those convicted of organizing a gathering exceeding the permitted limit can be fined $10,000 to $100,000, and jailed up to a year.

Aylmer police said they didn't charge anyone who attended the drive-in service on Sunday.

“The calls that came in were saying people were entering the building and that several people were milling around and not staying in their vehicles,” acting Insp. Nick Novacich said of what brought officers to the church.

Citing safety concerns, police dispersed the nearly 20 vehicles that had gathered for the protest.

Aylmer has had 234 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began.