Four people, including a retired Church of England vicar, have pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated trespass and refusing to leave Bath Abbey in September 2025. Rev’d Bill White, 71, a retired Church of England vicar from Macclesfield appeared via video link at Bath Magistrates Court on Wednesday 7^th January 2026. The other three appeared in person.

A giant 4m 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 on 13th September 2025. Four people then sat peacefully on the roof of the bell tower, asking to speak to the Bishop of Bath and Wells. The campaign urges the Church of England to take  radical and urgent action in the face of the Climate and Nature Emergency, including speaking out unapologetically against the powers that are causing climate change.

30 people took part in a peaceful prayer vigil outside the court in support of the four while the hearing took place.

The four charged are:

• 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 Kent
  
• After the hearing, Rev’d Bill White said: 

‘It is not in the public interest to prosecute the truth tellers, the prophets of our time. The Church is falling to tell the truth about climate breakdown and its impact on all of us. The Abbey was more interested in keeping its tours running than in being a place of worship and in hearing our message.’

When pleading not guilty, Stephen Pritchard said:

‘I want to be judged by the morality of my actions, not by the legality of my actions.’

On Monday 5th January, two days before the court hearing, members of Christian Climate Action met with Bishop Michael who listened to their concerns and said he would read Stop Crucifying Creation.

A case management hearing will take place on Wednesday 14th January at Bath Magistrates Court.

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.