Churches, evangelists and the Christian Legal Centre have teamed up to oppose an injunction proposed by Labour-run Rushmoor Council that critics say is an effective ban on preaching the gospel outdoors.
The injunction, which has been in the works for two years, seeks to heavily curtail preaching activities in the town centres of Aldershot and Farnborough. The council claims that its injunction is designed to “prevent alarm and distress” and has justified the proposal by citing a number of complaints from members of the public.
Under the injunction, praying in the designated areas without prior permission would be prohibited.
Handing out leaflets or other materials would also be disallowed, although they could be made available for anyone to pick them up. The council has also taken issue with the laying on of hands to pray for people.
The clearest evidence that the injunction acts as a de facto evangelism ban is that the following are also banned: “Approaching anyone who is not themselves street preaching for the purpose of engaging them with discussion about religion or belief.”
And also: “Engaging in street preaching which is hostile towards anyone with the protected characteristic of age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation.”
Council representatives claim that their injunction considers the rights of all parties, something disputed by the Christian Legal Centre, who have denounced the proposed injunction as “disproportionate and unlawful”.
A preacher reacts
One trained evangelist who operates in the area said he could not believe the injunction when he first read it and assumed it must have been a mistake or the work of a rogue anti-Christian extremist in the council.
“I felt complete unbelief that it was saying that you can’t have religious discussions, you can’t pray or sing, and people have to come to you, you can’t go to them and share the gospel which Christians have done freely in this country for centuries," he said.
The evangelist also told of encounters with the police, who told him to turn down the volume on his sound system. When asked if the use of sound amplification was illegal, the police simply called for back-up rather than answering the question.The evangelist added, “As a Christian I am commanded to share the good news and am therefore compelled to share the gospel. The gospel is not my idea, I am being obedient to God.“There is a fracturing of the understanding of what the Christian faith is across this land. For the first 19 years of my life, I was against God, but then my life was completely changed. I know what it is like to be on the other side, and I know people can change their minds and find hope. That is why I do what I do.“Since we found out about the injunction and asked for prayer, we have been contacted by Christians from across the UK. The issue is uniting preachers and Christians and we are prepared to challenge this as far as need be to prevent the gospel being criminalised in Aldershot and Farnborough.”
The council said they had received a number of complaints about the activities of preachers. One of the complainants was a gay man with a “transgender son”. Others said that preaching made them feel “angry and upset” and that it “ruins their day [when] they are judged”. Others even said they could not sleep at night.
In one case Christian preachers were met with hecklers who had a sign saying “Jesus Hates Gay People”. The man bearing the sign also complained that Christian preachers were creating “a non-inclusive environment”.
The preachers took issue with this and with the sign, which they pointed out was inaccurate. The council is only proposing restrictions on one side of the dispute.
After a challenge by the Christian Legal Centre, the court hearing to seal the injunction was postponed and the council has indicated it intends to re-write the injunction.
Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said: “We stand with the Christian preachers in Aldershot and Farnborough. The proposed injunction is disproportionate and unlawful, and we will challenge any other legislation the council tries to bring in which attempts to silence and criminalise the Christian faith.”
