Retired Pastor Convicted For Preaching John 3:16
Pastor Clive Johnston’s sermon made no mention of abortion. He carried no signs or placards and was not accused of harassing anyone.
A district judge in Northern Ireland has convicted a 78-year-old retired pastor for preaching a sermon on John 3:16 near an abortion buffer zone.
Pastor Clive Johnston was convicted on May 7 in Coleraine Magistrates’ Court for breaching Northern Ireland’s Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act after conducting an open-air service on July 7, 2024, near the perimeter of a hospital buffer zone.
The service, held near Causeway Hospital, used a PA system, but Johnston’s sermon made no mention of abortion. He carried no signs or placards and was not accused of harassing anyone. Nevertheless, the judge ruled that the service amounted to an attempt to “influence” those accessing abortion services at the hospital. Johnston was fined £450, including for failing to leave promptly when requested.
The so-called “buffer zones” were established by law under the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act (Northern Ireland) 2023. The legislation prohibits certain activities within designated areas, typically extending 100-150 metres around hospitals and abortion clinics. Prohibited behaviours include activities capable of influencing those seeking an abortion or causing alarm or distress.
In a Facebook post, Franklin Graham wrote:
“God bless Pastor Clive Johnston for preaching the Gospel—John 3:16! … Pastor Johnston didn’t even mention abortion; he just preached the Gospel in a public space. I hope his legal team at The Christian Institute will have success in appealing this. Religious freedoms are being threatened not only in the U.K., but here in the U.S., Canada, and around the world.”
Graham added:
“There is an anti-Christ spirit that is prevailing in our world today. It’s as though every demon in Hell has been unleashed.”
The Christian Institute director Ciarán Kelly criticised the ruling, saying:
“Despite assurances to the contrary when this legislation was being considered, we now see that an already controversial and deeply unjust law has been selectively applied to criminalise Gospel preaching.”
Options for an appeal are currently being considered.
In 2025, the United States, under the Trump administration, sent a State Department team to the United Kingdom to investigate alleged violations of free speech, particularly targeting pro-life campaigners.
According to The Telegraph, the five-person delegation, led by Samuel Samson from the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, met with British officials in March 2025 and held private interviews with activists arrested for silently praying or protesting near abortion clinics. Their findings are being reported directly back to the White House.
One month before the delegation’s arrival, Vice President J.D. Vance delivered a pointed speech at the Munich Security Conference, accusing British and European officials of suppressing dissent and abandoning core Western values. He warned that across Europe—and in Britain in particular—free speech was “in retreat.”
The White House also issued a statement affirming concern over the U.K.’s direction. In a post on X, the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor said: “US-UK relations share a mutual respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. However, as Vice President Vance has said, we are concerned about freedom of expression in the United Kingdom.
“While recently in the UK, DRL Senior Advisor Sam Samson met with Livia Tossici-Bolt, who faces criminal charges for offering conversations within a legally prohibited ‘butter zone’ at an abortion clinic. We are monitoring her case. It is important that the UK respect and protect freedom of expression.”
Vice President J.D. Vance has previously warned Western nations that U.S. military support should depend on respect for American values, especially free speech.
He argued it’s “insane” to back any alliance that doesn’t uphold free speech, saying American power comes with conditions, particularly from European allies. While he wouldn’t impose values on other nations, he expects European countries to share basic American principles like free speech.
“Look, I’m not going to go to some backwards country and tell them how to live their lives, but European countries should theoretically share American values, especially about some very basic things, like free speech,” he said.