Essex County in U.K. Demands Preacher Stop Warning People about Hell
Another United Kingdom pastor is being threatened with prison time if he doesn’t curtail the message of his street preaching. The topic with which Essex County leaders are taking issue is when Pastor Stephen Clayden of Bread of Life Community Church has talked about hell in his messages. The church received a Community Protection Notice (CPN) in which it was warned that it must refrain from using any sort of amplification during its weekly outreach, and that references to hell may not be made because those references cause listeners to experience a sense of “harassment, alarm and distress,” according to Christian Concern.
Contents of Church’s Outreach
When Bread of Life Community Church holds their outreach, they sing hymns, pass out literature and Bibles, and hold conversations with those who approach them in the city square. In addition, they have a food pantry for the community, a clothing ministry (especially during the winter months), and feed people hot meals. People frequently express their appreciation for the church’s community involvement, prayer, and the sense of hope that those participating in the outreaches extend to them.
The demand from the county is a rather curious one, given the fact that formal complaints have never been filed by citizens in the community, and the outreach isn’t a new one. In addition, there isn’t a sound ordinance posted at the city square where the church holds their outreach.
Church’s Legal Rep Declares CPN ‘Deeply Alarming Development’
“We have preached the Bible lawfully and peacefully in [Essex County’s] Colchester for six years. We have harmed no one. We will not be intimidated into abandoning the Great Commission. We respect the law. But we cannot and will not stop preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. No council has the authority to silence the Church,” Pastor Clayden told Premier Christian News.
The church has filed a legal appeal against the CPN order and is being represented by the Christian Legal Centre. Chief Executive Andrea Williams told Premier Christian News that, “This is a deeply alarming development. Public-order powers designed to address genuine anti-social behavior are now being used to clamp down on Christian preaching. Today it is amplification; tomorrow it is the content of the message itself. We are seeing a slippery slope from managing noise to policing theology.”
The hearing for the church’s appeal will take place at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on May 1st.
Related Article
UK Pastor Arrested, Imprisoned, Interrogated for Preaching in Public
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Rattankun Thongbun
Originally published April 27, 2026.
