(ChurchLeaders) James Coates and Artur Pawlowski are two pastors in Alberta, Canada, who have gotten quite a bit of media coverage for holding large gatherings in defiance of public health orders. But Rev. Ray Matheson, another church leader in the province, believes the two are bad examples of what it means to follow Jesus.
“I feel very sad about what these pastors are doing,” said Matheson, a retired pastor who is now a congregational care associate at First Alliance Church in Calgary, Alberta. “I think it gives Christianity a bad name.” He explained, “I think those pastors believe they are doing the right thing, but I believe they’re misguided and they’re not following the principles of Scripture or the example of Jesus.”