Street evangelism and the law is a topic that we receive lots of emails about. Many Christians are worried about sharing their faith, particularly on the streets. There are many great resources out their about the rights and freedoms that we have as Christians. The Evangelical Alliance has produced a very useful resource called Speak Up outlining your rights and freedoms as a Christian.
We have produced a video entitled Street Evangelism and the Law which can be viewed on our YouTube channel.
In short, you have lots of freedom to share your faith on the streets. If you want to preach on the streets you can, provided the area is public and not private property. There are some limitations in the law like causing an obstruction for example.
You should also consider other users of the area even if it is not in contravention of the law. If you block a shop doorway, for instance, you are obviously going to upset the shopkeeper. The use of PA systems in often governed by local byelaws because no-one wants loud music or preaching blasting across the whole city. Being too loud is also counter productive. If you are preaching you want people to draw close to you and engage in what you’re saying.
We run a series of training events throughout the year called Streetwise. The aim of these courses is to train people to be effective in street evangelism. Creativity, gentleness, humour and humility are attractive qualities and usually draw a crowd. Check out the next Streetwise training course.
If you have more questions on street evangelism and your rights then please contact us. We are always happy to help if we can.
More resources and advice can be found from:-
