A veteran Christian pastor who frequently shares the Gospel in Australia and New Zealand has been arrested while street preaching in the London borough of Watford.
Video of Steve Maile’s arrest has been viewed by more than 1.5 million people on social media.
It shows the 66-year-old grandfather who’s the founder and senior pastor of the Oasis City Church in Watford, being double handcuffed by three police officers in the Town Square.
Pastor Maile is seen continually protesting that his arrest is a “disgrace” because no offence has been committed.
STREET PREACHER HELD IN CUSTODY FOR 12 HOURS
On the video, one of the police officers appears to say that the pastor allegedly assaulted someone, an accusation which Steve Maile vehemently denies.
He was taken away and held in custody for 12 hours — before being freed on bail after midnight.
Pastor Maile who is an occasional guest on Vision Radio told the Christian radio station:
“I was arrested on the streets of Watford for preaching the Gospel and held in custody for two false allegations.”
PASTOR STEVE MAILE DESCRIBES HIS ARREST
“It was a really horrendous experience. Now my wife put the video up and I can tell you it’s gone to 1.5 million people.”
“I’ve been hassled by the police loads and loads of times, but never arrested.”
“The arrest was so brutal, it was in front of my wife and children, in front of all the public in Watford, and they handcuffed me with double handcuffs.”
“The pain was excruciating. My wrists are bruised and damaged. I have to go to the doctor’s tomorrow to get a doctor’s report.”
WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE UK?
“I’m telling you it was excruciating, but it was vicious. It was uncalled for, especially when the allegations were false,” the pastor continued.
And, you know, the whole experience has left me in a place where you’ve got to ask yourself the question: What’s going on in the UK? What is going on in the UK?.”
Christian Today reports Hertfordshire Constabulary said in a statement: “On Saturday 18 April, a man aged in his 60s was arrested on suspicion of assault and a Section 5 public order offence (racially or religiously aggravated disorderly behaviour).
“He has been released on bail while enquiries into the public order offence continue.”
POLICE CLEAR PASTOR OF ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS
The statement concluded: “No further action is being taken in relation to the assault.”
That seemed to confirm the pastor’s protestations that the allegations against him were “totally false.”
Witnesses could be heard on the video indicating that a group of teenage girls may have made a complaint to the officers.
“YOU’LL NEVER STOP STEVE MAILE FROM PREACHING THE GOSPEL”
After his release, Pastor Maile thanked his supporters and defiantly vowed: “You will never ever stop Steve Maile from preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
He has been doing that for 45 years.
He became a Christian in Auckland, New Zealand in 1979 and was trained for the ministry by his pastor, Dr. Kevin Dyson — a prestigious Bible teacher and author.
Shortly after his training, Steve Maile left a promising career as a head chef to become a full time minister, preaching the Gospel worldwide, including ministering in Africa with Reinhard Bonnke from Christ for All Nations.
“THE CHURCH HAS GOT TO WAKE UP”
He told Vision Radio that the global Church needs to be more pro-active:
“In every nation, the state, the Church, is really a reflection of the nation. And so the Church has got to wake up. “
“Churches have got to pray and they have got to preach.”
“CHRISTIANS HAVE GOT TO WAKE UP”
“They’ve got to stop hiding behind the pulpit, and preach a triumphant Christ, a triumphant Church.”
“Christians have got to wake up. Every leader’s got to wake up.”
“You’re going to recognise something. We’re at war. Exodus 15.3 says God is a man of war.
STREET PREACHERS OFTEN TARGETED BY UK POLICE
Steve Maile is far from the first street preacher to have had a run-in with British police officers after often vexatious complaints by disapproving members of the public.
Pastor Dia Moodley was arrested in Bristol last November on suspicion of “inciting religious hatred” after publicly discussing the differences between Islam and Christianity.
A group of Muslim men attacked him and threatened to stab him, but he was the only one arrested.
Not all police officers have caved into public pressure to arrest street preachers.
A female police officer who was surrounded by Muslim men complaining about a preacher in the Muslim-majority borough of Whitechapel, calmly told them she would be taking no action against the preacher because he was exercising his freedom of speech.
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