I’ve seen or heard repeated comments about the Derek Reimer story. I didn’t spend much time on it and haven’t tracked closely. The greatest concern I’ve heard is from south of the Canada-US boarder, primarily from those alarmed by Tucker Carlson calling Canada “an atheist totalitarian state” and citing this story. Over the last week or so, I’ve read two articles from widely different presuppositions (Rebel News and the Calgary Herald), watched parts of a few videos, and looked into Mission 7 (on which I found next to nothing about their doctrinal beliefs). Here are my thoughts.
You can find lots of video footage, much of it taken by Reimer himself. On the face of it, there’s some measure of intended publicity, though I’ll not say that’s his or anyone’s primary motive (to which I’m not privy). The video footage of Reimer at the Calgary Public Library shows him disrupting a drag queen story time by preaching to attendees. He is promptly hoisted from the room and winds up thumped on his back. It gives an entirely new picture to drag queen, I’ll say, but that’s another matter.
On principle, I’d agree with many of the words I heard in the 59 second clip from Reimer. But I can’t agree that interrupting a drag queen story time, even by preaching the truth, is what Scripture summons us to do.
Let me put this into context. Can you not see that what is fostering 2SLGBTQ+ has deep religious roots? Just like the flourishing of Protestant denominations or non-denominations, that + sign stands for new denominations to come. A public library, funded by taxpayer dollars, can now function as a temple of worship. Drag queen story time is a worship service, like it or not. So when Reimer strolls into story time to warn the kids of the wrath of God against such sins, he’s actually behaving (whatever his intent) in a biblically unprecedented manner, despite the biblical content of the message.
Just wait a minute. Think of an analogy. What would you do if you were part of a church that rented a public school for Sunday services, like I have been before, and someone intruded preaching against Christianity? Frankly, and disgracefully, I know of churches in the south that have volunteer bouncers—sometimes armed—to handle such interruptions. So why are you surprised when the world has bouncers for its own worship services? Would you be “an atheistic totalitarian church” (or “theistic totalitarian church”) for kicking them out? Not that I’m condoning bouncers on either side; I’m pacifist. But put yourself in their worldly shoes; we don’t have the right to force our convictions on the world (1 Corinthians 5:9–13, esp. v. 10; 6:9–11), no more than the world has the right to intrude in the church’s worship either.
Back to the Bible. When Paul preaches at the Areopagus, it’s by invitation (Acts 17:19–20), as is his preaching before the Roman government (e.g., Acts 24:10; 26:1). Most of his preaching is in the synagogues, even then often by invitation (e.g., Acts 13:15, 42) or in private houses (Acts 20:20). We see him borrowing a lecture hall too (Acts 19:8–10). There is street preaching to inquisitive crowds, generally impromptu (e.g., Acts 8:1–8; 14:11–20). My bottom line is that we never see the apostles marching into pagan temples and interrupting sacrifices to preach the gospel of the kingdom.
I’m unsurprised that the media is taking the opportunity to rake Reimer over the coals or herald him as a hero. Neither is good. While I know it’s foreboding and does speak badly of what’s to come, Reimer’s not got good grounds for his behaviour. He’s not a model to follow on this one and it’s only going to cause more trouble for those of us who are trying to preach the truth in the right context. I’m not sorry for saying it.
Frankly, if you want to see a more troubling development, look over to North Battleford. There, an Alliance pastor named Keith Klippenstein advised the church on how to request a public centre not to host a drag queen bingo fundraiser. CBC caught wind of what he said through the church’s YouTube channel, which is itself suggestive that churches may not be wise to cater to people via internet (which would also require people to be present in church instead of fooling themselves that digital is a substitute for physical fellowship, discipleship, and worship…but I digress). What did Klippenstein say? To cite CBC’s Feb. 17, 2023 article,
“If you feel led by God to phone up the Dekker Centre, do that. But make sure your speech is seasoned with salt, and that whoever answers the phone and hears what you say in regards to this event and your concern about it [knows] that they have been talking with a Christ follower,” Klippenstein told the congregation, referencing bible verses.
What’s wrong with that? Nothing. It’s wise advice and perfectly legitimate to petition a public center (or a library) not to have drag queen story hour, just as it’s (currently) legal for people to bring their kids to attend a drag queen service or a church service. But Klippenstein and the church were blasted publicly by the media for requesting that it not happen.
This is no time for alarmism; I’m not alarmed nor wanting to be alarmist like Tucker, just trying to be soberminded. The church has already overcome the world, whether we or the world know it (1 John 5:4). The Alliance church petitions as cited were very sober, yet the church was slandered as “hateful and discriminatory” for voicing opposition at all, whether from the church or on the phone. More than the Reimer story, my friends, that is concerning. A person in the article called the church “one group” that “c[a]me out of the shadows.”
If that is “coming out” of the shadows, fine. I’ll come into the light.
Carpe Deum 
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