Come Down, Lord!

  The Church of God in Aylmer has been made ‘famous’ by Henry Hildebrant.  Because of their recent stand for freedom and for the right of churches to gather, Henry and his congregation have become well known and even admired.  It is no secret that they are actively pursuing a wider audience and seeking a greater influence in the churches and communities of the province.   My concern is that many in the Church look to them as something like noble freedom fighters.  Still others - who ordinarily wouldn’t - have begun attending their church; and even some faithful pastors are making common cause with them because they have defied the government’s interference with the churches.  Initially I was inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt (as I wrote previously ). I wanted to treat them, at very least, as co-belligerents. I now believe this was a grave mistake.  A little research reveals that they are not another Christian church or denomination...

  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 th...