This season, as we seek God’s strength, we are reminded that He is our refuge – our steady rock when the world feels uncertain.
This week, our Legal Operations Manager, Evelyne, leads us in prayer from Psalm 46:1–2. She also highlights our client, Adam Smith-Connor, whose story has made international headlines.
Adam – a veteran of the British Army Reserves who served courageously in Afghanistan – became the first citizen in modern British history to be criminally convicted for his thoughts when praying silently near an abortion facility.
On 16 October 2024, Bournemouth Magistrates’ Court convicted and sentenced Adam to a conditional discharge and ordered him to pay prosecution costs of £9,000. With our legal support, Adam appealed this decision.
Adam was sentenced for praying about his own experience, and the son he lost to his decision to pay for an abortion many years ago. He was also praying for the men and women facing difficult decisions with regard to abortion that day.
He stood with his back to the facility, so as not to be misconstrued as trying to disrupt the privacy of anyone there. But a local regulation banned prayer as an “expression of approval or disapproval of abortion” on that public street. In his case, authorities argue that the ban also applies to silent prayer.
But prayer is never a crime, and Adam is not a criminal.
We cannot allow the government to dictate the content of our thoughts. We must stand together.
Will you help Adam fight this legal battle? Your support will provide crucial resources for his legal defence and others like him. Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a difference. | 
