Review | J. Paul Cooper, Writer

The Essential Church (2023), Written and Directed by Shannon Halliday, is a documentary about pastors, on both sides of the United States/Canadian border, who refused to comply with government restrictions during the Covid-19 crisis.

In California, Pastor John MacArthur, a man in his eighties, was threatened with fines and imprisonment. In Alberta, Canada, Pastor Tim Stephens and Pastor James Coates both spent time in prison. While they were behind bars, their congregations were meeting outside the churches, because they had been locked out of the buildings.

The documentary includes discussions with the pastors, their lawyers, and church elders, as well as television interviews and clips of police and health authorities. One clip records police arresting Pastor Tim Stephens at his house, in front of his wife and children. During the arrest, one of the police officers can be heard quoting scripture to Pastor Stephens. Would a police officer quote the Koran (Quran) to a Mullah?

Since I find history fascinating, I enjoyed how modern events were contrasted with events that took place hundreds of years ago in Scotland. When the Crown tried to dictate how they were to worship, some congregations rebelled and Christians lost their lives as a result. The stories of martyrdom use an animation technique with stone carvings in dark shadows. The unique animation adds a sense of gravitas to the narration.

During the Covid-19 crisis, the question many pastors had to grapple with, was whether government restrictions were forcing them to disobey the Lord Jesus Christ. The Essential Church is the story of three pastors who believed that was the case, and refused to back down.