Fourteen months after his arrest for street preaching, Pastor Sapocinik is free to share his faith in public, with no conviction and no criminal record.
TORONTO: The Democracy Fund (TDF) announces that Crown prosecutors have withdrawn the criminal charge against Pastor Jeffrey Sapocinik, who was arrested while preaching in the Toronto area.
Pastor Sapocinik — a street preacher and pastor of Narrow Way Baptist Church — was arrested on July 19, 2025, at Bloor Street West and Runnymede Road and charged with causing a disturbance under s. 175 of the Criminal Code. Just prior to his arrest, he was sharing his Christian beliefs in a public area.
Over the fourteen months that followed, TDF lawyers appeared in court on Pastor Sapocinik’s behalf numerous times, and made sustained submissions to the Crown on the Charter implications of prosecuting public religious expression.
TDF is pleased to announce that the charge was withdrawn on September 23, 2026, at the Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto. Pastor Sapocinik entered into a peace bond. He was not convicted of any offence.
This was the second time Pastor Sapocinik faced a criminal charge for street preaching. In November 2023, he was charged under s.176(2) of the Criminal Code after criticizing the secularization of Christmas near the route of Toronto’s Santa Claus parade. That charge was also withdrawn, one day before trial.
TDF Litigation Director, Adam Blake-Gallipeau, stated:
“My client spent fourteen months under a criminal charge arising from peaceful street preaching. He leaves with no conviction and no criminal record. He is free to peacefully preach his faith in public - a right guaranteed under our Charter to all Canadians. Public areas have always been places where Canadians speak and sometimes argue about ideas: criminal charges are a poor response to these arguments.”
Pastor Sapocinik comments on this news:
“For the second time, I have been subjected to criminal prosecution for publicly preaching the Word of God, and for the second time, the Crown has withdrawn the charges. This ought to concern every freedom-loving Canadian, regardless of what they believe. When peaceful preaching on a public sidewalk results in arrest and criminal charges, then something is seriously wrong. Our fundamental freedoms are not reserved for those whose opinions are popular or whose message is embraced by everyone. Freedom is not based on consensus. By God’s grace, I endeavour to continue to faithfully and boldly proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ without compromise or apology. Above all, I am thankful to God for His faithfulness throughout this ordeal, and I am sincerely grateful to The Democracy Fund, particularly my lawyer, Adam Blake-Gallipeau, for taking on my case.”
About The Democracy Fund:
Founded in 2021, The Democracy Fund (TDF) is a Canadian charity dedicated to defending constitutional rights, promoting free speech and religious freedom, and opposing religious discrimination. TDF advances these principles through litigation, public education, educational initiatives, and access-to-justice programs for Canadians whose civil liberties have been infringed.
