Springs Church charged for illegal grad ceremony, summoned to court

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This article was published 14/06/2021 (1246 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Cecilia McLandress, like thousands of Manitoba students, is facing a graduation ceremony without a crowd of happy relatives, dinner or dance.

The Grade 12 student at St. Mary’s Academy said for years she and her classmates eagerly anticipated their grad — only to have COVID-19 public health restrictions limit it to, at most, a drive-in convocation at a sparse venue at the far end of the city.

“A lot of us graduates feel it’s extremely unfair that (Springs College, a nine-month leadership program) got to hold their graduation while the rest of us can’t, especially because they may have contributed (to) COVID-19 spread and endangered the health of others,” she said Tuesday.

“It does not seem right that some people get to break the law/public health orders while the rest of us sit at home, finishing high school via Zoom.”

On Tuesday, Manitoba Justice officials said Winnipeg-based Springs Church had been charged with two counts of failing to abide by public health orders: holding an indoor gathering on private property, and failing to make sure anyone not wearing a mask while indoors is told to do so as soon as practicable.

Enforcement officials have issued a summons to church officials to appear in court July 6.

Last month, Springs Church posted photos to social media showing a maskless, indoor graduation ceremony held at its college May 20. More than a dozen people could be seen on stage, along with others in the audience. Masks were not worn in the pictures.

After the photos were met with widespread criticism on social media, Leon Fontaine (a senior pastor and co-president of the affiliated college) defended the event, saying all 18 student participants were part of the same cohort from orientation to graduation. All were physically distanced on the stage and in compliance with public health orders, he said.

Fontaine said the ceremony was filmed so it could be shown later on a large outdoor screen in their parking lot.

 

During the second COVID-19 wave in Manitoba last year, Springs Church established an online donation fund to pay for potential provincial enforcement tickets and challenge a ban on drive-in worship services.

Court documents show the church received five $5,000 fines for holding drive-in services Nov. 22, Nov. 28 and Nov. 29, while pastors Leon and Zach Fontaine received six $1,296 fines.

Erik Parker, a pastor at Sherwood Park Lutheran Church, who has been vocal against the actions of Springs Church through the pandemic, said: “It’s sad they chose to host events against guidelines, especially during that peak when you couldn’t visit outside of your household.”

“It’s not only selfish — it’s tone deaf.”

Parker said, currently, because the government has loosened some of the restrictions, a limited number of people can now visit together outside their home.

“If it takes churches being closed to allow everyone that little bit of normalcy, I’m willing to do it. We can worship in different ways.”

As for Cecilia and her classmates, she said it has been tough, as they missed out on the traditional graduation mass, grade retreat, and parent-daughter brunch.

“This is so hard for our family,” she said. “It’s so disappointing that I can’t celebrate with my family or friends, especially since it didn’t have to be this way.

“I know for a fact that a lot of people my age, including myself, are enraged by the provincial government’s pandemic response.”

— with files from staff, The Canadian Press

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca