English Council Tries to CRIMINALIZE Preaching the Gospel — Church Fights Back

Colchester Council Issues Community Protection Notice Against Church for Preaching About Hell

A small church in Essex is fighting back after Colchester Council issued a Community Protection Notice (CPN) against the entire congregation for street preaching in the town centre.

Bread of Life Community Church, based in Clacton on Sea, has been conducting weekly evangelism outreaches in Colchester for six years. Council officials initially raised concerns about the volume of amplification, but the notice went further, objecting to the content of the preaching itself.

The CPN specifically cited references to Hell as causing "harassment, alarm and distress." Legal experts at the Christian Legal Centre say this represents an unprecedented use of public order powers to target the doctrinal content of religious speech, rather than addressing any genuine antisocial behaviour.

We have preached the Bible lawfully and peacefully in Colchester for six years. We will not be intimidated into abandoning the Great Commission.

Pastor Stephen Clayden, Bread of Life Community Church

The appeal argues that the CPN is vague and disproportionate, particularly in its prohibition on undefined "intimidating behaviour." The church says that attempting to restrict doctrinal statements, such as warnings about judgement, amounts to unlawful content based censorship of protected religious speech.

Andrea Williams, CEO of the Christian Legal Centre, called the move an abuse of power.

Public order powers designed to address genuine antisocial behaviour are now being used to clamp down on Christian preaching.

Andrea Williams, Christian Legal Centre CEO

The appeal also raises concerns about procedural and factual errors, including the absence of documented incidents, evidence, or specific complaints supporting the council's allegations.

English Church Fights Council Ban on Street Preaching About Judgement and Salvation

Colchester Magistrates' Court will hear the case on 1 May 2026, in a hearing expected to have wide ranging implications for freedom of religion and expression across the United Kingdom. The church is being supported by the Christian Legal Centre.

Colchester Council declined to comment further, citing ongoing legal proceedings. The CPN was served following months of pressure from council wardens. Breaching the notice is a criminal offence, meaning Pastor Clayden and church members could face prosecution simply for continuing their ministry.

The Crusader's Opinion

Let us be absolutely clear about what is happening here. A local council in England is telling a church that preaching the Bible is a criminal offence. Not violence. Not threats. Preaching the Gospel. The very Gospel that built Western civilisation, that gave us our laws, our hospitals, our universities, is now being treated as "antisocial behaviour" by bureaucrats in high vis vests.

They are not banning hate speech. They are banning the truth of Scripture. They are criminalising the words of Christ Himself. Imagine for a moment if a mosque were told it could no longer preach about the Day of Judgement. The outcry would be deafening. But when it is Christians? Silence. Every single believer in this country should be paying attention, because if they can silence one church, they can silence them all.

Take Action

• Support: Follow the case and support the legal fight at Christian Concern and the Christian Legal Centre
• Pray: Pray for Pastor Stephen Clayden and Bread of Life Community Church as they face court on 1 May 2026. Pray for boldness and for justice to prevail.
• Write: Contact Colchester City Council to express your concern about the suppression of lawful religious expression in public spaces.
• Share: Share this story widely. The mainstream media will not cover this unless we make noise. Post it, talk about it, refuse to let it be buried.
• Donate: Support organisations defending persecuted Christians at The Shepherd's Shield and Open Doors UK