Retired vicar in court for climate protest at Bath Abbey

Above: Rev’d Bill White, 71, is arrested outside Bath Abbey

Press enquiries: christianclimateaction@gmail.com / 07954 377569

FOUR people, including a retired Church of England vicar, are due to appear at Bath Magistrates Court at 10am on Wednesday 7th January after a banner drop from the tower of Bath Abbey on 13th September 2025.

A giant banner, with the words ‘Don’t Crucify Creation’ was displayed from the top of Bath Abbey’s tower as part of the launch of Christian Climate Action’s Stop Crucifying Creation campaign. The campaign urges the Church of England to take radical and urgent action in the face of the Climate and Nature Emergency.

All are welcome to a peaceful prayer vigil which will take place outside Bath Law Courts, North Parade Road, during the court appearance. Members of Christian Climate Action will pray for the Church of England to hear its message. They will pray in particular for the church to use its voice to speak out more clearly against the forces that are driving climate change.

After the banner drop at the Abbey, four people sat peacefully on the roof of the bell tower, asking to speak to the Bishop of Bath and Wells. The police were called and they were arrested later in the day.

The following people are all due to appear in court charged with aggravated trespass:

Rev’d Bill White, 71, a retired Church of England vicar from Macclesfield
Stephen Pritchard, 66, a former Parish Councillor from Radstock, Somerset
Emma Ireland, 41, a mental health worker from Bristol
Kate Chesterman, 60, a retired university worker from Canterbury

Rev’d Bill White, 71, said:

“As Jesus did in his context, Christian Climate Action calls on the Church to tackle the corrupt powers and injustices of our time. The Church of England is doing much to get its own house in order, including its Net Zero by 2030 target, and for that we are thankful. It also needs to speak truth to power unapologetically. The roots of this crisis are the greed and selfishness of large organisations. Christian Climate Action calls on the Church of England to speak out more clearly, rebuking businesses, media and government who are spreading misinformation and continuing to cause emissions to rise.”

Kate Chesterman, 60, said:

“The cause of the climate crisis is a moral obscenity: to maintain their power and profits, governments and corporations refuse to take the action that’s needed to stop carbon emissions and so are putting all life at risk. Christian Climate Action is calling on the Church of England to be the voice of conscience in our nation, to get back to its roots and to speak out with courage against this evil.

“We dropped a banner from Bath Abbey tower to amplify that message and I believe that was an entirely appropriate way to use a venue built primarily for the worship of God and for people’s spiritual wellbeing. I now stand charged with trespass and disrupting the Abbey’s tower tours. As I go to court, I pray that the many people of faith who long for the ongoing destruction of our planet to stop will stand together, so that we can build the loving, merciful, truthful and resilient church communities that the world desperately needs at this time.”

The vision document Stop Crucifying Creation is available at bit.ly/ourcalltothechurch. Christian Climate Action is asking people to write to their church, bishop, or diocese urging them to read and respond to it.

Press enquiries: christianclimateaction@gmail.com / 07954 377569