Controversial Ban Sparks Petition for Church’s Right to Preach in Colchester
(Photo: Facebook/Bread of Life Community Church)
The imposition of a Community Protection Notice (CPN) against Bread of Life Community Church in Colchester has prompted a strong public reaction, with over 10,000 individuals signing a petition demanding its withdrawal.
The church is barred from its traditional public preaching in the city centre due to the CPN. Church officials claim they faced no grievances regarding their activities until local authorities began scrutinizing them last year.
Reports suggest that initial requests from officials were to reduce or cease the use of amplification, despite no formal prohibition on amplified sound in the vicinity. Subsequently, objections allegedly shifted towards the content of the sermons, with specific criticism of references to hell.
The CPN alleges that the church’s preaching incites “harassment, alarm and distress,” describing their activities as “unreasonable” with a “detrimental effect on the community.”
A petition backed by Christian Concern urges the council to revoke the CPN to uphold freedom of speech and religion, and to allow churches to share the gospel peacefully.
Christian Concern argues that the CPN’s application is “unprecedented,” as it targets the entire church and its congregation, contrasting with its usual application against individuals.
At the time of writing, the petition has garnered over 10,600 signatures, asserting: “Bread of Life Community Church has been sharing the Christian message in public. This is not because they are behaving inappropriately – they record and livestream all their outreach, and no evidence of harassment has been shown.”
The petition further states: “They are being suppressed because of the content of their message – the life-giving gospel that Christians have preached on UK streets for centuries. Please retract your Community Protection Notice against Bread of Life Community Church, recognising the freedoms of speech and religion that they are exercising.”
Colchester City Council has refrained from commenting, citing ongoing legal proceedings.
In related news, Bread of Life Church shared a Facebook photo featuring Pastor Stephen Clayden with Nigel Farage, highlighting their discussion on “Jesus, evangelism, and the Bible.”
“Bread of Life Community Church is grateful for his support,” the church stated in the post.
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
