Ex-drug user, Jennifer Scott has credited Waterloo, Ontario’s Trinity Bible Church in Canada for saving her life by choosing to stay open, rather than follow government edicts that sought to close Churches after downgrading them to a “non-essential service.”

Talking about her experience, Scott said:

“Before Christ I was a very angry person, filled with fear, doubt and self-pity. I was constantly seeking avenues filling the hole in me that only Jesus could fill. I was very promiscuous, hateful, bitter, controlling and plagued with addictions.”

She added:

“I started drinking and using drugs when I was 14. It began with marijuana and ended with smocking crack-cocaine, and IV drug use… I grew up going to church but I wasn’t saved.”

“Most recently,” Scott explained, “I was smoking and shooting seven grams of cocaine a day and my son asked me to come to a prayer meeting at Trinity. In my small group, I asked for prayer to help me stop. I left a comment on one of Pastor Jacob’s sermons on YouTube. Pastor Jacob took the time to find out who I was and tracked me down, and called to pray for me, and encourage me to keep coming to church.”

Scott told the congregation she has been sober for seven months and now has her own apartment, then asserted:

“None of these things would have happened if Trinity closed its doors and was solely online… I’d be dead right now if God had not used this church in my life.”

The Waterloo church was fined ‘over $80,000 in early 2021 for holding an in-person worship service for more than 10 people in defiance of state limitations on gatherings under the Reopening Ontario Act.’

Pastor Jacob Reaume said at the time:

“People are lonely, afraid, despairing of life itself, and facing financial ruin, among other deprivations and tribulations… Risking reputation and financial viability to offer eternal hope and warm Christian fellowship to a world in despair is an act of love that I am certain Jesus smiles on.”

One of the few reporting the now-viral video, The Daily Wire, citing Newsweek, recounted how Trinity BC, overall, ‘incurred over $100,000 in fines for refusing to shut its doors in defiance of the Reopening Ontario Act, as well as the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.’

Scott was given a wide range of support as a short clip went viral on Twitter, with the ongoing lockdown critical, pro-freedom hashtag #OpenYourChurch.

Associate Pastor, Will Schuurman explained the rationale for the video, stating:

“The short clip is simply meant to ‘promo’ the importance of ekklesia & encourage other churches to similarly stay open during future lockdowns so that ‘Jennifers’ in their communities can likewise find help, hope, & Jesus. Yes, Jesus deserves all the glory! So #OpenYourChurch“

Answering critics, Schuurman upheld the context of ecclesia (Church) being the physical gathering of Christians, saying:

“‘Closed its doors’ has less to do with the physical building and more to do with the physical gathering. The church is the physically gathered people of God. Church = ekklesia = assembly. #OpenYourChurch = #TheChurchMustGather“

As I argued in 2021 against many Christian “leaders” demonising the unvaccinated as “anti-vaxxers”, while they posted jab selfies and embraced segregation via COVID-19 vaccine passports: it is the Church’s job to sigh with the wounded, not engage in self-promotion.

It is repugnant that there are Christian “leaders” still happy to embrace a system that tells them they are not essential.

For two millennia, pastoral care has been an essential vocation of the Church.

By agreeing to Ceasar’s downgrades, the people who make up the Church violate this vocation.

The Church directed by Jesus Christ has the responsibility of directing the culture. This will mean banging heads from time to time with the State.

Trinity BC epitomises the role of the Church sighing with people wounded by both COVID-19 and COVID-19 government overreach.

It is the Church choosing to stand – in some cases at great cost – with those suffering from lockdowns, lost jobs, stigmatisation, segregation, “vaccine” complications, and unnecessarily long ostracization from family members.

Faith often brings calm in the chaos (Philippians 4:6-7).

May we never forget that pastoral care is an essential service.

The vindicated, Trinity BC said by way of Facebook:

“There are people like Jennifer in your community. Refuse to close your doors. Refuse to turn them away. This testimony is one among many that are similar. By the grace of God, we’ve witnessed over 100 baptisms at TBC since June 2020. All glory to God!”

WATCH Jennifer’s full testimony here: