Richard Johnson became a born-again Christian after a troubled past that included sexual abuse as a child and years of involvement in a bisexual lifestyle.

After Christ saved him, he began telling others what had happened in his life. Since 2007, he has evangelized across England and Europe, distributing gospel literature, street preaching and witnessing to people he meets.

Johnson says he has distributed hundreds of thousands of tracts over the years and frequently uses Chick tracts.

“I often use Chick tracts because they are King James Bible based and often humorous and people like cartoons,” he explained.

Trouble in Soho

On April 14, Johnson traveled to Soho, an area of central London known for its nightlife and large LGBT community.

Johnson was carrying a variety of gospel literature that day. As he made his way along Old Compton Street, he distributed several copies of Doom Town, a Chick tract based on the biblical account of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Because of his own past, he said he has empathy for those caught in the homosexual lifestyle and can use his testimony as an opening to share the gospel. He often puts his name and telephone number on tracts so people can contact him with questions.

But that day, two men took exception to the tract. According to Johnson’s account, they followed him for several blocks, shouting at him and telling him to “get out of Soho.”

A Gospel Tract Becomes a Criminal Case

A few weeks after the Soho incident, Johnson was called to a police station and formally “cautioned”. The case was eventually referred to the Crown Prosecution Service, and Johnson was prosecuted under Section 4A of the Public Order Act 1986.

Two people complained that Doom Town had caused them distress because of its treatment of homosexuality and LGBT issues.

One complainant argued that Soho should be regarded as a “safe space” for LGBT people and protected from messages considered hostile to them.

Johnson’s legal team warned that such reasoning would effectively create a space where speech permitted elsewhere could be restricted merely due to the beliefs of people living in or visiting the area. The law, however, still provides just as much freedom of religion and freedom of expression in Soho as it does elsewhere in London.

Not Guilty

After nearly 17 months with the criminal case hanging over him, Johnson went to trial on September 4, 2026. Though the court acknowledged that the tract had upset the complainants, it was determined that Johnson had done nothing worthy of a criminal conviction. He was acquitted of all charges.

Tim Dieppe of Christian Concern said Johnson should never have been prosecuted. He called it “shocking” that prosecutors had pursued a criminal case “merely for handing out tracts in that area calling people to repent and find forgiveness and freedom in Jesus.”

Dieppe said Christians should not have to fear arrest simply because someone complains about their message. “People have the right to say what they think and to preach the gospel,” he said.

Keep Passing Them Out

Johnson has faithfully taken the gospel to the streets for nearly 20 years. He has kept going when people listened, when they rejected the message—and even when sharing it landed him in court.

Now it’s our turn. There are millions more people who need to hear that Jesus Christ saves. We may not all preach on the streets of London, but we can all carry a few tracts and look for someone who needs one.

Every tract handed out is another opportunity for someone to hear the gospel. Every Christian who joins in means the message reaches a little farther.

Richard Johnson is back out there. Let’s join him—and keep the gospel moving.