Exclusive: Pastor Clive Johnston on being prosecuted for preaching in an abortion buffer zone

Retired pastor Clive Johnston has opened up about why he is being prosecuted for preaching in an abortion censorship zone in Northern Ireland.

In an exclusive interview with The Christian Institute earlier this year, Pastor Clive and his wife Sheila talked about their fifty years of faithful ministry sharing the Gospel, and how it recently landed him in legal trouble.

Earlier this week, Clive was on trial for allegedly attempting to ‘influence’ people accessing abortion services in Coleraine under the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act (Northern Ireland) 2023. This is despite not mentioning abortion or carrying any abortion placards or banners.

‘I couldn’t understand this’

Clive told the Institute: “One of the things that certainly concerned me was the introduction of laws that might restrict the preaching of the Good News about Jesus.”

He emphasises that the point of the outreach was “simply to share the message of the Gospel”, and to sing and worship the Lord. “We were there simply to show that, in the highways and byways, we’re able to talk about Jesus, to witness for Jesus. There was no mention of abortion at all.”

On 7 July 2024, while preaching on John 3:16 on the opposite side of a dual carriageway from Coleraine’s Causeway Hospital, Clive’s preaching was curtailed by the PSNI, despite having kept them informed in advance of their plans.

“We believe with all of our hearts there should be no ‘no-go’ areas for the Gospel.”Pastor Clive Johnston

“We were a bit overwhelmed by the fact that we had a number of police cars going up and down past us all the time, and then a number of police got out of their cars and they stood there, obviously listening and filming what we were doing. There were three of them that walked across the street and stood in front of us, before Inspector O’Brien interrupted and politely asked us to stop.

“He said that he did believe, after I refused to move, that I had broken the law on Safe Zones. I couldn’t understand this, but I was cautioned and I was then told to leave.”

Clive’s wife Sheila said: “When I heard that it had happened in Coleraine, I wasn’t really shocked. I really still feel and felt that it was a bit over the top, to be honest.”

‘Losing some of the most very basic rights’

The grandfather of seven – who has never been in trouble with the police – faces a criminal record and potential fines totalling thousands of pounds if he is convicted.

He said: “We need The Christian Institute and other organisations to be out there amongst the churches, educating them to the fact that we are in danger of losing some of the most very basic rights which we have enjoyed as believers for hundreds of years.

“This is a growing intolerance of the freedom that we have to tell people about Jesus. And I also believe with all my heart that if the church doesn’t waken up, that this is not simply the end, this is not just the issue of preaching in a so-called ‘Safe Zone’.”

He added: “To preach outside the church building is just an extension of the freedom that we enjoy to preach inside the building. We believe with all of our hearts there should be no ‘no-go’ areas for the Gospel.”

‘We don’t want special treatment’

Pastor Clive continued: “As a Bible-believing Christian, we don’t want special treatment, but we do cherish very much the freedom that we do have.”

Sheila said: “I just hope it would bring to the attention of people exactly what’s happening, because I feel the majority of people in Northern Ireland are not aware of how this is restricting everybody’s rights, not just ours.”

Clive concluded: “This is about the freedom to give everyone that we come into contact with the opportunity of hearing the Gospel.”

Judgment in Pastor Clive’s case has been deferred while District Judge Peter King receives additional written submissions from lawyers on both sides. Another court hearing has been scheduled for March.