Franklin Graham is speaking up for a 78-year-old retired pastor in Northern Ireland who was convicted last week - not for protesting, not for harassment - but for preaching John 3:16 at an open-air Sunday service near a hospital.
Pastor Clive Johnston, a grandfather of seven and former president of the Association of Baptist Churches in Ireland, was found guilty on May 7 of two charges under Northern Ireland's Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act. The hospital's abortion clinic was not even open that day. Johnston made no mention of abortion during his sermon. He simply preached the Gospel.
"This is a dark day for Christian freedom." - Pastor Clive Johnston, after his conviction
Graham posted his response on Facebook on May 9, calling on believers to pray for Johnston and his legal team. "God bless Pastor Clive Johnston for preaching the Gospel - John 3:16," Graham wrote, adding that "religious freedoms are being threatened not only in the UK, but here in the US, Canada, and around the world."
Graham also referenced his role on President Trump's Religious Liberty Commission, noting that the commission has heard testimonies from people across the country whose religious liberties have been violated. "There is an anti-Christ spirit that is prevailing in our world today," he wrote.
Johnston now holds a criminal record and faces a £450 fine - roughly $610. The Christian Institute, which supported his legal defense, said it will help him explore an appeal. Johnston is reportedly the first person convicted under the Safe Access Zones Act without mentioning abortion at all.
The U.S. State Department confirmed it has been monitoring the case. A State Department spokesman said the UK's handling of such cases represents "an egregious violation of the fundamental right to free speech and religious liberty."
John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life" - is one of the most recognized verses in the Bible. That it could now be grounds for a criminal conviction in a Western democracy is a moment the global Church should not overlook.
