A retired pastor from Northern Ireland is facing prosecution for preaching the Gospel in an open-air Sunday service near Coleraine’s Causeway Hospital.
Despite Clive Johnston not mentioning abortion, nor directly engaging with patients or staff, the 76-year-old has been charged under the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act.
This troubling case raises urgent concerns about the erosion of religious freedom in the UK, where preaching a core Christian message, as enshrined in John 3:16, can now be conflated with unlawful protest.
The Bible says,
Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
The slippery slope of censorship laws
The law used against Mr Johnston was introduced to prevent harassment outside abortion facilities, but his arrest demonstrates how such legislation can be weaponised to silence lawful, peaceful expression.
This mirrors the case of street preacher David McConnell, convicted in 2023 for offending a listener by quoting biblical views on homosexuality.
Though the judge later acknowledged a misinterpretation of the law, his conviction highlights the growing criminalisation of traditional Christian beliefs in public spaces.
Our Lord said:
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Return to the UK’s Christian Constitution →
A lawful gathering branded as protest
Despite standing on the fringes of the so-called buffer zone, separated from the hospital by a dual carriageway, Mr Johnston was charged with seeking to “influence” people accessing abortion services.
Yet, how can a simple act of Christian worship, without reference to abortion, be reasonably considered a protest?
This recalls the case of American evangelist, Tony Miano, who was arrested in Dundee Scotland, for mentioning homosexuality among a list of sexual sins. The former police officer and chaplain with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was later released.
If personal conviction and lawful speech are now interpreted as “influence” or “harm,” the UK risks becoming a society where even silent dissent is punishable.
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Freedom of religion in jeopardy
The Christian Voice has rightly questioned whether a law designed to prevent intimidation should be used to criminalise an elderly man playing hymns on a ukulele.
The issue at hand is far broader than one man’s court case; it is about whether the state has the authority to determine where and how faith can be expressed.
In a country where police have arrested individuals for silently praying near abortion clinics — as seen in the case of Isabel Vaughan-Spruce in Birmingham — the trend is clear.
Acts 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
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Public space and the double standard of expression
If preaching the love of God is now deemed an act of undue influence, then what of those who promote secular ideologies in public spaces? Activists for gender ideology, environmental groups, and political campaigners regularly use public areas to promote their views without interference.
Why, then, does Christian expression warrant a different standard? In 2019, Felix Ngole was expelled from his university course for expressing a biblical view on marriage.
His subsequent legal victory proved that Christian beliefs are protected, yet cases like Mr Johnston’s suggest authorities have not learned their lesson.
Politicians must clarify their intentions
The architects of the buffer zone law never openly stated that it could be used to ban religious gatherings, yet its application in this case suggests otherwise.
The Christian Voice has urged lawmakers to clarify their stance , but will they? If politicians truly believe in free speech, they must ensure the law is not misused to suppress it.
Otherwise, the UK will continue down a path where dissenting voices, particularly those of Christians, are censored under the guise of “safety.”
Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
The wider implications for Christian freedom
Mr Johnston’s prosecution is a stark warning to all believers. If a pensioner can be hauled before the courts for preaching a message of salvation, what does that mean for other forms of Christian witness?
If the authorities can so easily manipulate laws to suppress religious speech, how long before entire denominations face legal consequences for adhering to biblical doctrine? This is a defining moment for the UK’s religious liberties.
Jeremiah 1:8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.
Christians must stand firm, lest silence be mistaken for consent to the erosion of their freedoms.
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Read and pray
READ:Deut 27:25; Psalm 106:37-38; Prov 14:23; Isa 28:9; Matt 10:7; Luke 9:2, 10:1; John 3:16-18; Acts 4:18-20, 5:29, 10:42; Rom 1:16, 1Cor 6:9-11..
PRAY:Pray for our God-fearing leaders. Pray for Christians in the UK and across the globe.
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