Police in Aylmer, Ont., say four people are facing charges in connection with a public complaint about a large gathering at the Church of God .
According to police, officers arrived on scene at roughly 8:30 p.m. Tuesday to find 18 vehicles in the parking lot.
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“While the officers were dealing with two individuals on the parking lot,” police said in a statement, “a group of 18 persons were observed exiting the church building.”
None of the individuals were wearing masks or practising social distancing, police say.
Police say a Toronto man, 42; a Toronto woman, 41; and two Aylmer men, 20 and 34, are charged with failing to comply with a continued Section 7.0.2 order under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.
The investigation is ongoing and police say more charges are pending.
Tuesday's gathering is the latest in a series of incidents involving the Church of God.
In February, the church held a drive-in service after receiving an interim order from the Superior Court “restraining the Respondents from directly or indirectly contravening Ontario Regulation 82/20, by holding gatherings of more than 10 persons at, inside, or in conjunction with the operations of the Church.”
In late January, the church held an indoor, in-person service resulting in provincial charges against two men associated with the church .
Read more: Woolwich church faces more charges after ignoring COVID-19 rules once again
Earlier that month, a video posted on YouTube appeared to show roughly 100 people standing in the pews inside the church, with Pastor Henry Hildebrandt heard on video saying “ we’re not having service, we’re just touring .”; Days later, police reported that officers were in the process of issuing tickets .
Charges were also previously laid in connection with a church service on Dec. 27, 2020 and a resulting gathering on Jan. 6.
— with files from Global News' Matthew Trevithick and Kelly Wang.
