A British pastor was warned by a police officer that a Bible verse displayed on the back of his campervan could be considered “hate speech” if reported. The conversation occurred at a petrol station and was described as advisory.
Mick Fleming, 59, a former drug dealer-turned-pastor who now lives in his van, had John 3:16 prominently displayed on the vehicle. The verse reads, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”
The incident took place late last month in Burnley, a town in Lancashire, where Fleming was approached by a police officer who tapped him on the shoulder and offered what the pastor described as a friendly warning, The Telegraph reported.
The officer reportedly told him, “A bit of advice — the writing could be seen as hate speech in the wrong context. I am just giving you a heads up.” Fleming said the officer emphasized that the warning was not part of an investigation or arrest but was intended to alert him that the display might lead to a police inquiry if someone filed a complaint.
Fleming recounted the exchange on his YouTube channel and posed the question to his audience about whether a Bible verse such as John 3:16 could reasonably be considered offensive.
He said he had no plans to remove the text from his van and did not view it as hostile or harmful. He asked, “Do you think people would take offence to that, and if they did, why?”
The pastor expressed concern that a foundational message of Christian teaching could be viewed through a legal lens as inciting hate, saying he found it troubling that public expression of faith might face such scrutiny. “Maybe society is moving to a place where they don’t want faith-based people sat around a table in discussion with them,” he said.
Fleming leads Church on the Street Ministries, a Burnley-based Christian charity known for its work with people who are homeless and individuals struggling with addiction. His past includes years spent in organized crime before his religious transformation in 2009. And his work has been profiled by the BBC’s “Songs of Praise,” and King Charles, as Prince of Wales, publicly praised the charity’s outreach efforts.
The pastor has become known for giving up his possessions and choosing to live in his campervan as part of his ministry. He now uses the vehicle not only as his home but also as a mobile site for Christian outreach, with the Bible verse prominently displayed on the back.
Viewers of his video largely expressed support.
One person commented, “There’s nothing wrong with the sign, it’s all positive, so I don’t get why it’s a problem. It’s not offensive in the slightest,” according to the Lancashire Telegraph.
Another viewer remarked that labeling John 3:16 as hate speech made no sense, calling it “the complete opposite,” and said the verse is “love speech.” Others said the idea of investigating someone for sharing a well-known Bible verse seemed inconsistent with basic rights to free expression.
In the United Kingdom, displaying Bible verses in public may face scrutiny if the content is considered threatening or likely to incite hatred against individuals based on protected characteristics such as religion or sexual orientation.
For example, the Public Order Act of 1986 and the Racial and Religious Hatred Act of 2006 allow for prosecution if language is used with the intent to stir up hatred. Advocacy groups like Christian Concern say these laws are misapplied by police in ways that unfairly restrict religious speech.
