Witness Testimony

Steven Flippin, pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church in Saskatoon, testified that his church initially complied with public health restrictions in March 2020 but later chose to continue unrestricted in-person worship despite provincial capacity limits. He stated that church leadership concluded that biblical commands to gather and sing could not be subordinated to public health orders. The congregation removed pews, implemented distancing measures, and temporarily moved services online but ultimately refused to enforce attendance caps or prohibit singing.
Flippin described multiple complaints to Saskatchewan Health Authority and visits from police and health inspectors. He cited Section 176 of the Criminal Code, which addresses disruption of religious worship, and stated that authorities were not permitted to interrupt services. The church and individual elders were issued obstruction and public health violation tickets, including a $14,000 mass gathering fine. Charges were later amended to him personally as pastor, and he testified that he ultimately paid $19,600 in fines. He also described a quarantine order in March 2021 that he alleged was selectively extended during Easter weekend after a health inspector rescinded his release.
Flippin testified that his church grew from approximately 90 attendees pre-pandemic to over 200 following the restrictions, attributing growth to individuals seeking in-person worship. He argued that Charter rights were improperly limited under Section 1 without sufficient evidence and criticized what he characterized as inconsistent application of restrictions compared to retail businesses. He concluded that religious obedience and constitutional freedoms required peaceful civil disobedience when government orders conflicted with worship practices.