The organisers of a Christmas market in Canada are reported to have cut the mic when a grandma started to read the Christmas story from the Bible.
The Christian grandmother tried to give the reading during a presentation by Trinity Bible Chapel during the official opening festivities of the German Christkindl Market in Kitchener, Ontario, last week.
The church was invited back to be part of the opening celebrations by the organisers of the annual market after taking part for the first time last year.
But this time round, things didn't run so smoothly. The church says that a choir had just finished singing traditional carols and a hymn when the unnamed grandmother started to read the German translation of Matthew 1:18-25.
It was at this point that the church says organisers turned off the mic. Associate Pastor Will Schuurman said the mic was cut 'without warning' and that the organisers even played background music 'to seemingly drown out her voice and embarrass her'.
Schuurman said the same thing happened when Senior Pastor Jacob Reaume tried to address the crowd at the end of the church's presentation but he continued delivering his message without audio.
The restrictions were imposed despite the name of the market meaning 'Christ Child' in German and a city nativity scene being on display close to the stage.
Schuurman said the church was told by organisers that they did not want any Bible readings or preaching at the event.
'This was not communicated to us ahead of time leading up to the event. We were never told this, nor were we given a policy explaining what can and cannot be said from the Christkindl stage. We were completely blind-sided by this,' he said.
'Apparently, it is offensive to speak of the birth of Christ at a Christ Child Market next to a nativity display.'
Footage of Pastor Reaume speaking at the event without a mic was posted to Facebook:
