[1] In 1991, Hildebrandt became pastor of a fundamentalist Church of God (Restoration) congregation in Aylmer, Ontario, a group described by former members as "controlling" and "cult-like".

[10] Hildebrandt defended the family, claiming their discipline methods were advocated by his church, were based on their "biblically-held convictions", and did not constitute abuse.

[11] Following the incident, more than 100 members of his congregation fled to the United States and Mexico over fears the government would "restrict their freedoms" to hit their children using straps and sticks.

[14] In April 2020 during the COVI9-19 pandemic, Hildebrandt held drive-in services at his church, despite strict gathering limits mandated by the province of Ontario.

[18] In response, Hildebrandt's church and the Trinity Bible Chapel based in the Waterloo region, brought a constitutional challenge arguing that Covid public health measures interfered with their religious freedom.

[20] He led bilingual worship services in front of the Parliament Buildings along with a pastor from Montreal during the convoy's presence in Ottawa and confronted police with his religious message.