Victory for pastor 'treated like a criminal' for reaching out to the homeless

A female Christian pastor who was fined over £16,000 by police for holding a church service for the homeless in a car park during lockdown has seen her case thrown out by a magistrate’s court.

Pastor Chizumie Dyer, who has been supported by the Christian Legal Centre, was issued with the fines during the February 2021 lockdown for running her ‘Church on the Streets’ ministry in one of the toughest communities in Nottingham.

The social outreach involves 30 homeless people, some of whom are battling with drug addictions. Typically they will meet in a car park, hear praise and worship music, a talk and will be fed hot Caribbean food outdoors each Sunday.

Despite explaining to the police their mission of feeding the homeless and despite having followed the relevant guidelines, the Sergeant in command of the operation reported that his superiors had deemed that this was an ‘illegal gathering’ and issued a fine.

Speaking to BBC News Chizumie said: “I feel relieved. I feel thrilled. This getting chucked out of court, it’s a sense of big sense of relief!”