Christian preacher reported to charity watchdog over alleged 'anti-Muslim bigotry'

An Essex evangelical preacher has been reported to the charity regulator for alleged homophobic, misogynistic and Islamophobic remarks.

The National Secular Society has lodged a formal complaint with the Charity Commission concerning Stephen Clayden.

Mr Clayden leads the Bread of Life Community Church in Clacton, which holds registered charitable status and benefits from tax exemptions, including gift aid recognition from HMRC.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage recently appeared alongside Mr Clayden in a YouTube video expressing his support. Mr Farage declared he was "fully on your side" and suggested the church was being "demonised" for its Christian beliefs.

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Whether Mr Farage was aware of the pastor's broader sermon content is unknown.

In sermons uploaded to YouTube, Mr Clayden has made a series of contentious statements regarding Islam and Muslim communities in Britain.

During a January sermon, the pastor told his congregation that Muslims were "outbreeding the white population" and pursuing a gradual strategy of demographic conquest rather than violent means.

He went further, asserting that permitting Muslims to hold political office represented "the biggest mistake" both Britain and America had ever made.

Mr Clayden has maintained that his position does not constitute Islamophobia. "Do we love Muslims? Yes, we do. Do we hate Islam? Yes, we do. Because God hates it," he stated during the sermon.

He has insisted his criticism targets the Islamic faith rather than its adherents, whom he wishes to "reach with the love of Christ".

The pastor's sermons have also addressed marriage and gender roles in stark terms. Citing the New Testament book of Ephesians, Mr Clayden declared that wives should be "subject to their husbands in everything."

He expressed particular displeasure at seeing men defer to their wives, describing the feminist movement as the "work of the devil".

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Mr Clayden has drawn comparisons between Pride celebrations and religious extremism. In a June 2025 video, he referred to "perverted Pride parades" and likened them to "Islamic jihad," suggesting both movements sought dominance.

Quoting Leviticus, he asked the LGBT community: "What part of that verse do you not understand? You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination."

The pastor maintains his use of such terminology reflects scripture rather than personal prejudice.

Mr Clayden has rejected all accusations of bigotry in a statement to The Times.

He said: “Our teaching on marriage, taken from Ephesians chapter 5, is merely an exhortation to return to traditional Christian marriage. We wholeheartedly reject the accusation that our views and statements are misogynistic. Husbands are called to lay down their lives for their wives.”

Regarding LGBT matters, he insisted: "We do not hate LGBT people, we love them, we care about them, and we have a fervent desire for them to come to faith in Jesus Christ."

Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, defended the pastor as "doing what Christian preachers have done for generations: teaching the Bible and applying its message to contemporary society".

The church is currently appealing against a Colchester council order restricting street preaching following complaints about intimidating behaviour.

Alejandro Sanchez of the National Secular Society argued that "taxpayer money should not be subsidising" such views, criticising how charitable religious status serves "as a flak jacket to promote division".

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