Dear Friend,
The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC), in conjunction with the Réseau évangélique du Québec (Evangelical Network of Quebec) and the Canadian Centre for Christian Charities, has applied for special intervenor status in a crucial court case.
The case involves Ministerios Restauración, an evangelical church in Montréal. It was fined by the city for holding a concert performance on the evening of July 25, 2025, without the proper permit and in violation of a zoning bylaw.
What the city called a concert, however, was in fact a 2-hour praise and prayer celebration service that was attended by about 150 people. No tickets were sold; it was free for anyone who wanted to attend.
A guest worship leader and speaker led the worshippers through a time of praise and prayer, featuring a dozen contemporary Christian worship songs, and preached for about half an hour. Shortly after the Lord's Supper, the service ended.
Since the church is zoned as a "place of worship" and the “performance” was actually an expression of worship, the evening service should have been permitted under the zoning bylaw. (After all, a church shouldn’t need a special permit to conduct a worship service!)
However, the municipality of Montréal determined that a nighttime music and prayer event does not qualify as “worship” and fined the church $2,500 for hosting a “concert.”
The worship service drew the attention of civic authorities because the invited worship leader and speaker was Sean Feucht, an American musician, preacher and former political candidate. He had been refused permits for events in public venues across Canada over safety concerns due to his politics, pro-life views, and criticism of the LGBTQ+ movement. A spokesperson for the mayor said the “show” was contrary to the city’s values.
The church is seeking to challenge the fine in Quebec Superior Court, claiming the city's actions were unlawful and violated constitutional rights regarding freedom of religion, freedom of peaceful assembly, and freedom of expression and opinion.
The EFC wants to be involved in this court case because, regardless of where one stands on Mr. Feucht’s religious or political views, the court will be deciding whether municipalities should have the power to decide what activities constitute religious worship. Municipalities should not be able to decide the types of words, music, and activities that are allowed for worship gatherings inside churches.
The court’s ruling could have a profound effect on the ability of evangelical Christians – as well as other minority religious communities – to participate in praise and worship.
This case has major implications for religious freedom across Canada.
Worship services – which often involves communal singing, prayer and exhortation – are central to the Christian faith. Praise and worship in evangelical churches may include the singing of traditional hymns by the congregation, accompanied by piano or organ music. Or there might be a choir. Or the worship may be led by whole musical team where one or two singers lead the congregation in contemporary songs of praise, accompanied by guitars, electric keyboards and drums.
Whether we’re kneeling before God with heads bowed in solemnity or dancing with hearts abandoned in the “undignified” manner of King David (2 Samuel 6), we are urged to “sing for joy to the Lord, shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation, come before him with thanksgiving, and extol him with music and song” (Psalm 95:1-2). Indeed, the nature and worship styles seen in churches across Canada are incredibly diverse, reflecting the cultures, languages and traditions of Christian communities around the world.
Churches should never be subject to penal consequences based on the instruments used, the identity of a worship leader, the time of day the worship is taking place, the length of the service or event, or whether it includes certain liturgical elements.
As always, we covet your prayers. We seek divine guidance and favour, and ask for wisdom for the legal teams. We pray for truth to prevail and for a just outcome as we stand up, once again, to defend religious freedom, not only for us, but for Canadians of all faiths.
Finally, because we are seeking special intervenor status in this case, legal fees are expected to be sizable. Will you consider making a donation today to help us cover some of the costs? Your gift of any size would be warmly received and gratefully appreciated!
Sincerely,
Dr. David Guretzki
President & CEO