
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
RUSHMOOR, ENGLAND (Worthy News) – A Labour Party-run council in England wants to ban Christian street preachers with “an injunction,” or judicial order, that could result in lengthy prison sentences for violators.
The Rushmoor borough council in Hampshire county sought an injunction banning Christians from preaching, praying, and handing out leaflets in the centers of the towns of Farnborough and Aldershot.
The local authority claimed preachers were “offensive” and caused “alarm and distress” to passers-by.
It has prompted claims that the council is attempting to “criminalize” Christians because the maximum sentence for breaching an injunction is two years imprisonment.
Sally McGuinness, one of the preachers, said: “If this is not challenged and stopped in its tracks now, it will spread and will be terrible for Christian freedoms and freedom in general in this country.”
However, “I couldn’t believe it when I read it; it is unashamedly stopping the Gospel from being shared and treating us like unwanted criminals,” the preacher added.
PUBLIC COMPLAINTS
The council applied for the injunction in February, citing “disruption and distress being caused to the public and local businesses” by preachers over a “prolonged period.”
It also referred to complaints received by the public about the use of portable public address systems such as microphones and loudspeakers, stating that the preaching made them feel “angry and upset.”
It was not clear whether similar measures would be taken against street artists.
Under the terms of the drafted injunction, Christians would have been banned from praying for anyone “without their prior permission,” offering leaflets or Bibles by hand, and laying hands on anyone in prayer even if they consented.
Other proposed prohibitions included approaching people to discuss Christianity and the preaching of any sermons that were “hostile towards anyone with the protected characteristic of the age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation.”
The preachers maintain that being seen as “hostile” is unavoidable when attempting to convince non-believers of the truth of the Christian faith.
‘MAKING MISTAKE’
One of the preachers said: “When I first read the injunction, I thought: ‘They must have made a mistake.’
“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.
The preacher said, “As a Christian, I am commanded to share the good news and am therefore compelled to share the gospel.”
The preacher added: The Gospel is not my idea; I am being obedient to God.”
The council has now withdrawn the initial terms of the injunction it applied for and says it will “rewrite it” while seeking “greater consultation” with local Christians.
However, with an injunction still on the table, Christians view it as part of growing restrictions on devoted believers to express their faith publicly, following similar measures near abortion clinics.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
President Donald Trump confirmed Sunday that he offered to send U.S. troops into Mexico to help combat the country’s deadly drug cartels — but said Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum turned him down because she is “afraid of the cartels.”
In a sweeping new effort to reduce the number of illegal immigrants in the country, the Department of Homeland Security announced Monday it will pay a $1,000 reward plus travel assistance to migrants who voluntarily leave the United States through a new self-deportation initiative.
Iran has announced the successful test of a new medium-range ballistic missile—Qassem Basir—boasting advanced capabilities designed to evade some of the world’s most sophisticated air defense systems, including the U.S.-made THAAD, currently deployed in Israel.
Israel’s security cabinet has approved an expansive military operation in Gaza, dubbed “Operation Gideon’s Chariots,” with officials warning that unless a hostage deal is secured by the end of U.S. President Donald Trump’s upcoming Middle East visit, the offensive will begin with full force.
The Israeli Air Force, in coordination with the United States, launched a wide-scale aerial assault on Houthi targets in Yemen late Sunday night, following a ballistic missile strike near Israel’s Ben-Gurion Airport.
There was more anxiety in Europe on Monday after U.S. President Donald J. Trump did not rule out using military force to gain control of Greenland, the world’s largest island and an autonomous territory within Denmark.
A young Christian man working as an assistant lineman at Pakistan’s Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) remained missing Sunday after he was abducted in the Pakistani province of Punjab, activists supporting his family told Worthy News.