122 church leaders across England and Wales have withdrawn their legal action against the Government after they were allowed to stay open for public worship during the latest national lockdown.

They had been seeking a judicial review after public worship was suspended by Westminster and the Welsh Assembly during lockdowns in October and November last year. 

During these lockdowns, a legal online church service in Milton Keynes was wrongly shut down by police and the pastor prosecuted on his doorstep, while in Wales, mourners at a funeral were prevented from saying the Lord's Prayer together.

Supported by the Christian Legal Centre, a permission hearing for judicial review was due this week at Cardiff Civil Justice Centre.

But the church leaders have now halted their action after both Westminster and the Welsh Assembly allowed churches to stay open in the current lockdown. 

Pastor Ade Omooba, who led the legal challenge, welcomed the U-turn by England and Wales, and said it was "recognition that you cannot treat churches, and the crucial material, emotional and spiritual services they provide to their communities, as non-essential."

"Throughout the crisis, churches have demonstrated their love and leadership both by caring for the practical needs of their neighbours and by worshipping together safely, when possible," he said. 

"The language and the actions of the English and Welsh governments has now significantly shifted. We welcome this and have withdrawn our legal claim accordingly.

"Now we call on both governments to ensure consistency of appropriate dialogue and to uphold and protect the important and long held constitutional position of the independence of church and civil government." 

Rev Matthew Roberts, Minister of Trinity Church York, said: "As the pandemic and all its tragic effects continue, it has never been more important that people from across the country should gather safely to worship God.

"We are very grateful to the government for recognising this and preserving Christian worship through the current lockdown, and we see constantly the benefit of regular and safe worship in people's lives."

Neither government has promised that churches will not be closed again in the future, and the church leaders have promised that if they are, they will once again pursue legal action.

"If places of worship close again in England and Wales, we will face no alternative but to pursue legal action again," Pastor Omooba added. 

Church leaders from across Scotland, where public worship has been banned, are still considering legal action.