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Alberta Adventist Prison Ministry Organization (AAPMO) Report
The AAPMO Ministry has maintained a presence, although extremely challenged due to the provincial, national, and global mandates regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdown restrictions.
Federal institutions, on a whole, have remained under lockdown status, except for Grierson Minimum Security Prison, located at Grierson Hill in Edmonton. I was able to facilitate personal visitations over several periods of relaxed lockdown requirements; there were two SDA inmates that I was able to visit and assist in their successful applications for conditional release back into society on Day Parole.
As the conference coordinator, I have continued to speak and preach at various churches throughout the conference, locally in the Edmonton area as well as Onaway, Mirror, and Calgary regions, including the Chinook Winds Adventist Academy.
I have also assisted several of our own church members who had been incarcerated, journeying alongside them as they have reintegrated back into society, including their families and the greater church family.
Additionally, I have assisted GEMA in their current Prophecy Today series, presented by Pastor Bill Santos, by heading the security detail. One incident occurred last week, after the program had ended, when one of the members from Edmonton Central SDA Church (ECSDAC) decided to walk to the front to speak with Pastor Santos. The individual did make appropriate statements that were, in fact, true. Apparently, I understand that issues had arisen at ECSDAC with pastoral staff, and this individual was never properly taken care of, and it still remains a bone of contention. As the individual got close to the front stage, he was surrounded by some pastors. This caused the individual to become agitated, and thus he raised his voice. In anticipation, two of the pastors called the police. By the time the police arrived, the young man had settled down and was conversing calmly with the speaker, another member, and myself.
Nevertheless, the police officer asked him to accompany them outside to speak, and he did so willingly and without fuss.
I did send an email to the members of GEMA and the conference: excerpt #176 from the Criminal Code of Canada, outlining the laws pertaining to both clergy and religious assemblies.
This young man was courteous and quiet throughout the presentation. The night’s presentation had come to an end, and the audience was already leaving the auditorium/ sanctuary. No law had been broken!
I verily believe there is a need to educate our pastors in handling perceived difficult persons or members who may exhibit mental health issues. Further, right now, the whole world is dealing with unprecedented dilemma with this pandemic that has affected all segments of society, and it’s going rise to greater agitation, fear, and even mental health manifestations for even our own church members.
As under-shepherds of our Lord and Saviour, who bore all our sins and gave His life and blood for His church, we need to be more compassionate with better understanding as we deal with those persons in need of extra care within our vineyard of service.
I am prepared and willing to assist, counsel, and present for our colleagues as the Alberta Conference deems fitting.
Last, due to the government’s ever- changing mandates and policies concerning the protection of the members of society during this pandemic, actual in-person AAPMO trainings have not taken place. I have, however, been working in preparing an online training, but the usual training takes just over three hours to complete, which would be problematic.
In his Master’s service
CRIMINAL CODE OF CANADA EXCERPT - #176 - FOR THE CLERGY
Breach of trust by public officer 122 Every official who, in connection with the duties of his office, commits fraud or a breach of trust is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years, whether or not the fraud or breach of trust would be an offence if it were committed in relation to a private person
Evidence of peace officer (2) In the absence of other evidence, or by way of corroboration of other evidence, a summary conviction court may infer from the evidence of a peace officer relating to the conduct of a person or persons, whether ascertained or not,
that a disturbance described in paragraph (1)(a) or (d) or an obstruction described in paragraph (1)(c) was caused or occurred.
Obstructing or violence to or arrest of officiating clergyman
176 (1) Every one who (a) by threats or force, unlawfully obstructs or prevents or endeavours to obstruct or prevent a clergyman or minister from celebrating divine service or performing any other function in connection with his calling, or (b) knowing that a clergyman or minister is about to perform, is on his way to perform or is returning from the performance of any of the duties or functions mentioned in paragraph (a) (i) assaults or offers any violence to him, or (ii) arrests him on a civil process, or under the pretence of executing a civil process, is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years. (2) Every one who wilfully disturbs or interrupts an assemblage of persons met for religious worship or for a moral, social or benevolent purpose is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction. (3) Every one who, at or near a meeting referred to in subsection (2), wilfully does anything that disturbs the order or solemnity of the meeting is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction. R.S., c. C-34, s. 172.
Submitted by Pastor Oliver Johnson Alberta Conference Prison Ministry Coordinator
Alberta
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