The National Post reports that GraceLife Church in Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada held a packed out Good Friday service (April 2, 2021) in violation of the province’s lockdown restrictions that limit church services to 15% of capacity.

According to reports, the parking lot was filled with vehicles long before the 11 am service started. Several RCMP were also sitting in their cars monitoring the service.

The service was livestreamed and several members of the church were seen singing without masks.

 James Coates, a pastor at GraceLife Church, was arrested in February and jailed for several weeks after he refused to abide by bail conditions that would prevent him from leading a service at the church. Coates has since been released.

From the National Post:

GraceLife Church in Parkland County held another packed service on Good Friday in violation of COVID-19 restrictions despite a closure order issued in January for non-compliance.

The church parking lot was full just before the service start time of 11 a.m. as attendees filed in, and four RCMP cruisers could be seen on the road outside the church.

Churches are allowed to be open under the current COVID-19 restrictions but must limit capacity to 15 per cent, require mandatory masking and physical distancing between households. GraceLife has been found in violation of these restrictions every Sunday since the closure order from Alberta Health Services came into effect.

READ: GraceLife Church holds packed Good Friday service in violation of COVID-19 restrictions

GraceLife churches has been holding services almost weekly since the pandemic started.

As previously reported, over 70 churches across Canada had committed to holding Easter services in defiance of lockdowns in place across the country. READ: Urgent: We Will Gather | Easter 2021