Street Church pastor awaits court’s decision

Street Church pastor awaits court’s decision

by John Syratt

 

Art Pawlowski, pastor of Street Church in Calgary went to court again on April 17 to continue his battle over what he calls a challenge to his freedoms as a Canadian.

"We had the same judge as last year," Pawlowski told CLN just prior to press time. "She says she will make a decision within two weeks, whether she grants the City of Calgary the injunction against us.

If that’s the case, every person at Street Church will be forbidden to preach on the street or in a park. She didn’t concentrate on the merit of what we’re doing in helping feed the poor and meeting people’s needs."

As Pawlowski described it, three officers showed up at his door this week with eight different summons for numerous violations such as gathering and attracting a crowd, illegal placement of a sign, giving free goods and services.

"Today, (April 17) the court case focused on amplification," he added. "Yet, in three years we’ve never received a ticket for breaking the acceptable noise barriers."

"We’re spending billions of dollars to help the poor in Africa, but when we try to do it in Calgary, they try to shut us down."

Pawlowski and church members have been spending two hours one day each week feeding the poor and protesting outside City Hall with an enlarged poster size picture of the ticket they’ve received for what he calls, "feeding the poor and giving free goods and services."

 

He plans to step up his efforts two extra days a week to get his message across.