Come Down, Lord!

  I don't know Ian Clary personally, nor am I familiar with his ministry.  I have heard his name come up in recent months because of his efforts to defend - and call for - Christian compliance.  By “Christian compliance” I am referring to the attitude and response of the Church toward covid restrictions and related state regulations.      Until the other day I saw no reason to respond.   But that was before he publicly accused Jacob Reaume of Donatism.     First some context .   Ian Clary had shared an article titled, The Anti-Vax Crusaders .  The article was mostly about Henry Hildebrandt and the Church of God in Aylmer.  When he posted the article Clary added these words: “ Sadly, this story isn't surprising. What has surprised me over the past year or so is that a number of Christian leaders in Canada that I know quite well have found common cause with this guy. Politics trumps orthodoxy it seems.”  Then in a comment Clary wrote, "Aaron Rock and Jacob Reaume conducted

  I have been asked repeatedly about our connection with the Church of God (COG) in Aylmer.  When the questions first started to come I had never spoken to Henry Hildebrandt and knew very little about his church.  In the weeks and months that followed I spoke with Henry on separate occasions and in person. At that initial meeting with Henry I asked him a series of pointed questions.  I was concerned.  I was glad his church was open, but I had heard rumors of heresy and cultish behaviour and wanted to hear it from him.  Ordinarily I might have dismissed a group like his outright. But the COG Aylmer was one of the very few churches in Ontario that remained open through the lockdowns, and I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. So, I asked him about his view of Scripture, his view of salvation, his understanding of the person and work of Christ and so on.  And I came away mostly satisfied.  There were clear differences between us, but on the main points it seemed as if we agree