Chizumie Dyer

Christian street preacher Chizumie Dyer was fined over £16,000 by police for holding a church service for the homeless in a car park during the February 2021 lockdown.

Pastor Chez 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.

She has said that during this time she and her ministry team had been supporting homeless people who were on the brink of suicide.

The social outreach involves 30 homeless people. 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.

In December 2021, Nottingham Magistrates’ Court told Pastor Chez that the Crown Prosecution Service had withdrawn its case.

Pastor Chez said: “I am so relieved that this case has been thrown out and justice has finally been served.

“We stood in the gap for the most vulnerable when others would not or could not. We had people who urgently needed our support and some who said we had prevented them from committing suicide.

“We were the spiritual doctors who were not on furlough. People were suffering and needed us.

“We reach people with the Good News of Jesus Christ during the toughest of times. This is what the church is and what the church should do. For this, however, I was treated like a criminal. We are a church with limited financial resources, so to face fines of this magnitude for helping the homeless was devastating.

“I hope my story can show people the vital role Christian Street ministry plays in our country.”