Please pray for Pastor James Coates and his family as they face the hearing today. I know many of us have different opinions about these regulations... It's been a difficult time for us all, and no one has all the answers. But pastors everywhere should have the freedom to shepherd their congregations as God has called them. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we rally together when one of our own is in trouble, even when we disagree or are afraid.
"Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution;
at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated.
You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property,
because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions."- Hebrews 10:33-34
If you have time, please consider also reading the following letter from another pastor's perspective. Definitely worth the read:
"Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus from a fellow servant of Christ and your Michigan neighbor!
I am writing an open letter to you to ask you to apply Hebrews 10:33-34 and 13:3 for our brother and fellow Pastor, James Coates. I don’t know Pastor Coates personally, but we have a number of mutual friends and are fellow alumni of The Master’s Seminary. Before coming to Calvary Bible Church, I spent over a decade living and ministering in the former Soviet Union. It is the hard lessons our brothers learned there that compels me to write to you with an appeal:
Disagree with Pastor Coates all you want, but don’t dither on whether Christ or Caesar is head of the church or on whether pastors or politicians have been given ecclesiastical authority by our Lord.
Disagree with Pastor Coates all you want, but don’t desert him because you disagree with his decisions or feel he chose the wrong hill to die on.
When Canadian and American soldiers fought side by side in World War II, there were times where individual commanders made tactical decisions that their fellow officers strongly disagreed with. There were intense debates on what to do and how to respond in various situations. But they all held to a core principle of military brotherhood: When an allied officer came under heavy attack, the others rallied to support him…even if they disagreed with the tactics or field of battle their fellow officer had chosen. The alternative was to be mired in indecision, isolated by the enemy, surrounded, and destroyed one by one.
So when one of our own has been arrested—not for some scandalous moral failure or shipwreck of faith, but simply for holding worship services and preaching God’s Word out of deep theological and personal conviction—his brothers and fellow pastors should immediately rally to his support and defense…even if they disagree with his convictions or the way he implemented them.
In all of church history, no pastor who has ever been arrested has been 100% correct in all his decisions, applications, and judgment calls. Each and every one has made decisions that other pastors of his time and context could legitimately disagree with. But if full agreement, perfect wisdom, and inerrancy in application is the standard for receiving Hebrews 10:33-34 and 13:3 support, we will all desert each other one by one, and we will all face the opposition of the world alone. This should not be.
Have you ever wondered why 2 Timothy 4:16 says that no one supported the apostle Paul at his first defense? Why did everyone desert him? Fear was probably the reason for some. But were there no men of courage at all? Could it be that fear hindered some, but it was disagreement with Paul’s methods and decisions which hindered others?
Brothers, during my years on the mission field, I observed the intense disagreements that quite naturally take place between ministers of the gospel when they are faced with complicated and difficult situations which require tough judgment calls. But when one of their own is arrested, all dithering and debate immediately ceases, and everyone immediate rallies to the support and defense of their brother.
You may disagree with James. If you or I are ever arrested in different circumstances, I may disagree with pastoral decisions you've made, and you may disagree with mine. But we must remember that we are brothers and fellow soldiers in the cause of Christ. Brothers-In-Arms may strongly disagree on which hill to die on. But when one of our own has carefully and prayerfully chosen to take a stand, we should not dither over whether or not to support him. Pastors should never desert each other over tactical or applicational disagreements.
So “become a sharer” (Heb. 10:33), “show sympathy” (Heb. 10:34), and “remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them” (Heb. 13:3). You and your local congregation don’t have to die on the same hill he and GraceLife have chosen, but you have a spiritual and moral obligation to support and defend your brother in Christ.
In humility and love, I appeal to you on James’ behalf: Disagree, but don’t dither. Disagree, but don’t desert.
With Love and Respect, Bret Laird"
Appeal for Pastor Coates' release from prison set for March 4, 2021 | Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (jccf.ca)
"Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution;
at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated.
You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property,
because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions."- Hebrews 10:33-34
If you have time, please consider also reading the following letter from another pastor's perspective. Definitely worth the read:
"Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus from a fellow servant of Christ and your Michigan neighbor!
I am writing an open letter to you to ask you to apply Hebrews 10:33-34 and 13:3 for our brother and fellow Pastor, James Coates. I don’t know Pastor Coates personally, but we have a number of mutual friends and are fellow alumni of The Master’s Seminary. Before coming to Calvary Bible Church, I spent over a decade living and ministering in the former Soviet Union. It is the hard lessons our brothers learned there that compels me to write to you with an appeal:
Disagree with Pastor Coates all you want, but don’t dither on whether Christ or Caesar is head of the church or on whether pastors or politicians have been given ecclesiastical authority by our Lord.
Disagree with Pastor Coates all you want, but don’t desert him because you disagree with his decisions or feel he chose the wrong hill to die on.
When Canadian and American soldiers fought side by side in World War II, there were times where individual commanders made tactical decisions that their fellow officers strongly disagreed with. There were intense debates on what to do and how to respond in various situations. But they all held to a core principle of military brotherhood: When an allied officer came under heavy attack, the others rallied to support him…even if they disagreed with the tactics or field of battle their fellow officer had chosen. The alternative was to be mired in indecision, isolated by the enemy, surrounded, and destroyed one by one.
So when one of our own has been arrested—not for some scandalous moral failure or shipwreck of faith, but simply for holding worship services and preaching God’s Word out of deep theological and personal conviction—his brothers and fellow pastors should immediately rally to his support and defense…even if they disagree with his convictions or the way he implemented them.
In all of church history, no pastor who has ever been arrested has been 100% correct in all his decisions, applications, and judgment calls. Each and every one has made decisions that other pastors of his time and context could legitimately disagree with. But if full agreement, perfect wisdom, and inerrancy in application is the standard for receiving Hebrews 10:33-34 and 13:3 support, we will all desert each other one by one, and we will all face the opposition of the world alone. This should not be.
Have you ever wondered why 2 Timothy 4:16 says that no one supported the apostle Paul at his first defense? Why did everyone desert him? Fear was probably the reason for some. But were there no men of courage at all? Could it be that fear hindered some, but it was disagreement with Paul’s methods and decisions which hindered others?
Brothers, during my years on the mission field, I observed the intense disagreements that quite naturally take place between ministers of the gospel when they are faced with complicated and difficult situations which require tough judgment calls. But when one of their own is arrested, all dithering and debate immediately ceases, and everyone immediate rallies to the support and defense of their brother.
You may disagree with James. If you or I are ever arrested in different circumstances, I may disagree with pastoral decisions you've made, and you may disagree with mine. But we must remember that we are brothers and fellow soldiers in the cause of Christ. Brothers-In-Arms may strongly disagree on which hill to die on. But when one of our own has carefully and prayerfully chosen to take a stand, we should not dither over whether or not to support him. Pastors should never desert each other over tactical or applicational disagreements.
So “become a sharer” (Heb. 10:33), “show sympathy” (Heb. 10:34), and “remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them” (Heb. 13:3). You and your local congregation don’t have to die on the same hill he and GraceLife have chosen, but you have a spiritual and moral obligation to support and defend your brother in Christ.
In humility and love, I appeal to you on James’ behalf: Disagree, but don’t dither. Disagree, but don’t desert.
With Love and Respect, Bret Laird"
Appeal for Pastor Coates' release from prison set for March 4, 2021 | Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (jccf.ca)
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