The sinister trend that came across from the United States involves people using the costumes to scare innocent members of the public.
In response to the craze, police forces across the UK have warned that jokers or criminals will face arrest - as they deal with a wave of reports.
Fancy dress shops have been asked not to sell clown costumes to anyone they think might be a prankster amid the ongoing "killer clown" craze.
Rev Patrick Forbes, a retired priest who has worked as a comic entertainer, told Premier churches should not give in to the craze.
It comes after a clown production company was forced to cancel an event at a children's hospital.
The Clown Doctors were due to celebrate 10 years of visiting sick children by putting on a special event at the Great North Children's Hospital in Newcastle.
Rev Forbes said: "I just don't think it's funny. It needs jumping on and stopping very, very quickly."
He said churches should not give in to the craze and feel forced to cancel any planned appearances at events like fundraisers: "Providing they know where the clowns are from and that they're real clowns and Christian clowns there shouldn't be any problem at all.
"Just go ahead, I don't see any reason why they shouldn't."
The craze would make "life more difficult" for Christians working in the entertainment industry, he added.
Some of the slew of incidents reported to police have involved offensive weapons, while in Cumbria - where police have dealt with 23 reports in 24 hours - a boy aged 13 was arrested and bailed for malicious communications after a girl of the same age in Kendal received Instagram messages from someone posing as a clown threatening to cut her throat and rape her.
There have also been serious injuries, with the Mirror reporting that kickboxer Simon Chinery, 28, had his fingers cut "to the bone" when he tried to disarm a knife-wielding clown - while 17-year-old Owen Russell told the Sheffield Star he needed stitches after a tree branch was thrown at him by an attacker wearing a clown costume.
Neil Wilkin, known as Jester Jim, uses clowning to tell people about Jesus. He said he and other Christian clowns can no longer perform on their own, for fear of being arrested or even attacked by people.
He told Premier's News Hour: "It's very disturbing. When I'm doing street work you think to yourself, 'is someone going to report me?'
"I'd want to know people out there keeping an eye on: 'is Neil safe with his performance'?"
"It really does frighten me, yes. Today, I would feel scared to go out there and do that on my own."
Listen to Premier's Antony Bushfield speaking to Rev Patrick Forbes:
Listen to Premier's Antony Bushfield speaking to Neil Wilkin:
