January 19, 2021
To all of our dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in particular, to those who would normally gather at the Redemption Bible Chapel in London/St. Thomas prior to the recent closure:
The church of God has often been misunderstood and misrepresented. That is not new to us nor to the millions of Christians throughout the ages. However, the congregation in Aylmer was saddened to read the recent, public condemnation and judgment from Pastor Norm Millar and the elders at Redemption. To our knowledge, no pastor, elder, or member of the congregation in Aylmer was contacted to discuss any of the charges or accusations in the letter. The Bible is unequivocal on unity and lays out a roadmap on how to resolve conflict between brethren. (See Matthew 5:23-25; Matthew 18:15-17.)
We reach our hands in fellowship to every blood-washed believer and we will always do so. The way to salvation is through the blood of Jesus Christ, and His body — the Church — is made up of every born-again believer across the globe. We have always believed that and we always will.
The unity of God’s people is paramount, and we know that any activity that promotes division among His people is sinful. Now, more than ever, we must endeavour to keep the unity and build up the body of Christ as a beacon of hope for a world in crisis. This moment in history is much bigger than just us as individuals, pastors, or local congregations. We are engaged in a battle of Biblical proportions against the powers of darkness. Let us fast and pray to seek the will of God and follow the direction of the Holy Spirit as we confront this final and unprecedented, colossal fight of good vs evil.
As a congregation, we bear absolutely no ill will or animosity to the members or leaders at Redemption. If you read this letter and you have questions or comments, we invite you to reach out and share those with us.
I humbly ask that you pray for me and each one of us to walk in the light, heed His voice, and grow in grace.
In Christian love,
Pastor Henry Hildebrandt
on behalf of the congregation of The Church of God at Aylmer
hhildebrandt@churchofgod.net • 519-773-7259
