Letters: Counter-terrorism Bill risks branding Christians as 'extremists'

Leaders of evangelical organisations and churches voice their concerns over Theresa May's extremism disruption orders

The Rev Prebendary Rod Thomas will be given the title of Bishop of Maidstone
The Bishop of Maidstone has joined other church leaders in voicing concerns over EDOs

SIR – Few doubt the need for a firm, intelligent counter-terrorism policy. But many are anxious that the Government’s current response risks going seriously off-track.

The stated goal of ministers – to tackle “extremism in all its forms” – casts the net so wide that almost anyone could fall into it, as illustrated recently by situations involving the Green MP Caroline Lucas and the secularist Maryam Namazie.

Extremism Disruption Orders (EDOs) in the forthcoming counter-extremism Bill look set to rely on a test of extremism that threatens the very democracy they are meant to protect. Many people will fall foul of EDOs and, as the former head of MI5 has said, “harmless evangelicals” could be among them.

Evangelicals like William Wilberforce, Lord Shaftesbury and Josephine Butler, though revered now, faced many malicious accusations during their lifetimes. Today Christians can be labelled “extremists” by those who disagree with Christianity. For some such people, EDOs will be a gift. For the Church, they will be a disaster.

Rev Tony Jones
Senior Minister, Christchurch, Durham

Rt Rev Rod Thomas
Bishop of Maidstone

Rev William Taylor
Rector, St Helen’s, Bishopsgate

Rev Dr Mike Ovey
Principal, Oak Hill College

Dr Peter Saunders
CEO, Christian Medical Fellowship

Rev Vaughan Roberts
Rector, St Ebbe’s Church, Oxford

Mike Plant
General Secretary, Evangelical Fellowship of Congregational Churches

Colin Hart
Director, The Christian Institute

Andrea Minichiello Williams
CEO, Christian Concern

Robert Strivens
Principal, London Theological Seminary

Rev Richard Cunningham
CEO, Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship

Ian Miller
Chairman, The Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship

Nola Leach
Chief Executive, Christian Action Research and Education

Rev Dr Steve Brady
Principal, Moorlands College

Jonathan Stephen
Principal, Wales Evangelical School of Theology

Rev Canon Angus MacLeay
Rector, St Nicholas Church, Sevenoaks

John Stevens
National Director, Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches

John Glass
General Superintendent, Elim Pentecostal Churches

Canon Dr Michael Green

Roger Carswell

Rev David Phillips
Vicar, St James Church, Chorley

Rev Mike Smith
Vicar, St John’s Church, Hartford

Rev James Goodwin-Hudson
Curate, Christ Church Parbold and All Saints’ Church Appley Bridge

Rev David Whitehouse
Minister, St Simon & St Jude with All Souls, Southport

Rev Chris Green
Vicar, St James, Muswell Hill

Rev Paul Benfield
Vicar, St Nicholas Church, Fleetwood

Rev David Holloway
Vicar, Jesmond Parish Church, Newcastle upon Tyne

Ralph Cunningham
Minister, City Church, Manchester

Rev Canon David Gibb
Vicar, St Andrew’s Leyland

Jonathan Gregory
Assistant Pastor, City Church, Birmingham

Rev Canon Andrew Raynes
Area Dean, Blackburn and Darwen

Rev Alan Hogarth
Vicar, St Barnabas Heapey and St Paul Withnell

Rev Dr Matthew Roberts
Minister, Trinity Church York
Moderator, British Presbytery of the International Presbyterian Church

Rev Nigel Atkinson
Vicar, St Johns Knutsford and Toft

Mark Simpson
Minister, Wellfield Church

Rev Andrew Towner
Vicar, St Johns Houghton and St Peters Kingmoor, Carlisle

Gerry Straker
Pastor, Church by the Bay, Morecambe

Rev James Terry
Vicar, St Catherine’s, Tranmere

Rev Mark Jones
Vicar, St Leonard’s, Padiham

Rev James Durbin
Curate, Christ Church Barnston

Jon Norwood
Elder, Beechwood Chapel, Birkenhead

Rev Daf Meirion-Jones
Vicar, All Saints Preston

Rev Dr Jeremy Hobson
Trinity Church, Islington

David Borlase
Director, Intercessors for Britain

Rev Canon Dr Simon Cox
Rector, All Hallows Bispham
Area Dean, Blackpool

Rev Canon James D Rushton

Rev James Nash
Minister, St Andrew’s Church, Preston

Rev Jonathan Milton-Thompson
Vicar, Blackburn St Andrew with Blackburn St Barnabas

Danny Rurlander
Senior Minister, Moorlands Church, Lancaster

Rev Philip Venables
Vicar, St John, Blackburn

Ray Trainer
Minister, Hoylake Evangelical Church, Birkenhead

Peter Roberts
Pastor, Trinity Church Everton, Liverpool

Tim Hanson
Pastor, Christ Church, Winsford

Rt Rev Wallace Benn
President, Fellowship of Word and Spirit

Rev Daniel Howard
Vicar, All Saints Church, Thornton Hough

Rev Dave Gobbett
Lead Minister, Highfields Church, Cardiff