A 78-year-old retired pastor in Northern Ireland has been convicted and fined simply for preaching the Christian gospel near a hospital — because apparently reading the Bible in public is now considered dangerous territory in modern Britain.
Clive Johnston was convicted on May 7 by District Judge Peter King at Coleraine Magistrates’ Court for violating a so-called “safe access zone” outside Causeway Hospital in Coleraine on July 7, 2024. Johnston was found guilty of “influencing” people within the protected area and ordered to pay a fine of 450 pounds, roughly $614.
According to the Christian Institute, which supported Johnston’s legal defense, this may be the first prosecution under the law involving a sermon that did not even mention abortion. Instead, the retired pastor had been preaching a gospel message that included John 3:16 — one of the most recognized Bible verses in Christianity.
“Naturally, I was deeply saddened by the verdict,” Johnston told Fox News Digital. “At 78 years old, I never imagined I would leave a courtroom with a criminal conviction for preaching the Christian gospel.”
Johnston warned that the ruling sends a deeply troubling signal about religious liberty and free speech in the United Kingdom. He argued that peaceful Christian preaching is now being redefined as unlawful “influence” simply because someone nearby might overhear it.
“If simply reading the Bible, praying, and preaching on God’s love can now be considered harmful because someone might overhear it within a certain area, then we have crossed a very serious line,” Johnston said.
He also pointed directly to the chilling implications of criminalizing one of Christianity’s central messages.
“John 3:16 is one of the most well-known and hope-filled verses in the Bible — a message about God’s love and salvation. If even that can be criminalized because of where it is spoken, then how can any public expression of Christian belief be truly safe from restriction?” he asked.
Johnston is not the only Christian facing legal trouble under these expanding buffer zone laws in the U.K. Scottish grandmother Rose Docherty was arrested twice for holding a sign offering conversation near a protected zone before charges against her were eventually dropped. Others have reportedly been charged or fined simply for silently praying in similar areas. Because in today’s “tolerant” society, quiet prayer apparently qualifies as public danger.
The case is fueling growing concerns among religious freedom advocates who warn that basic expressions of faith are increasingly being treated as criminal acts across parts of Europe.
Despite the conviction, Johnston’s message remained focused on faith, freedom, and hope — a reminder that millions of Christians around the world still refuse to stay silent, no matter how much pressure