Cardiff ministers ‘willing to face criminal charges to protect Christian teachings’
OVER 2,500 UK ministers and pastoral workers, including 20 from Cardiff, have signed an open letter against the proposed banning of conversion therapy.
The practice is used to try to change someone’s sexual orientation, gender identity or reduce their attraction to others of the same sex.
Methods include counselling sessions and being prayed over as a form of healing. More extreme forms include threatening a person with homelessness, food deprivation and exorcisms.
Equalities Minister, Liz Truss, wants the UK Government to introduce draft legislation in the spring to ban the practice.
But 11 church ministers co-wrote a letter to her saying they wished to continue the practice and that banning it would breach their legal rights.
The letter claims it is “morally wrong” to go against God’s design for society and those who commit the “sin” have put themselves, family, and society at risk of “tragic consequences” .
One of those 11 co-writers was the Rev Dave Gobbett, lead pastor from Highfields Church Cardiff.
“We are ultimately ministers of the Gospel and serve the Lord Jesus Christ, not the local state. We are not at liberty to change what we practise, in terms of what the government says, and we will be criminalised if need be,” he said.
“We want to be law-abiding citizens, and Christians should be, but we’re prepared to be criminalised for the sake of this important matter.”
In contrast, Church in Wales bishops are in favour of a ban. They say human sexuality is an expression of God’s glorious diversity in creation.
In the letter, the protesting group says the term “conversion therapy” is “so broad as to be essentially meaningless” and that it is a “merciful act” .
But NHS England warns that all forms of conversion therapy are “unethical and potentially harmful”.
In October 2021, the government opened a public consultation on its plans to make administering “talking therapy” for under-18s or non-consenting adults illegal.
The following measures were proposed:
- A ban on conversion therapy – introducing a new criminal offence alongside sentence uplifts for existing offences.
- A package of support for victims, restricting promotion of conversion therapies, removing profit streams, and strengthening the case for disqualification from holding a senior role in a charity.
- Introducing Conversion Therapy Protection Orders to protect potential victims from undergoing the practice including overseas.
- Exploring further measures to prevent the promotion of conversion therapy.
Evangelical churches in Cardiff that are against the legislation include All Nations Christian Centre, Calvary Chapel, Bridge Church, Bethel Presbyterian Church, The Bay Church and Heath Evangelical Church.
In response, Louis Bishop, 31, from Canton, who identifies as gay, said: “I was christened, and I always say ‘I think’ I believe in God because when people preach that God is against you being gay, it makes you question your belief.
“It’s disgusting that they don’t want to ban conversion therapy – people are who they are at the end of the day. God made us all different and we should celebrate uniqueness.”
He added: “Where’s the proof to say this is what God would have wanted? I know they say it’s in the Bible, but we are proof that God made us all to be individual.
“You shouldn’t be made to feel like a criminal because the church is telling you who you should be and what you should do.
“Love is love and you can’t help who you are.”
Cardiff is also home to many inclusive churches and charities that help the LGBTQ+ community share the Christian faith.
The Gathering, a charity in Cardiff, and St John the Baptist Church, a fully inclusive Anglican church governed under the Church in Wales, welcome all.
The Church in Wales’ Bench of Bishops encourages the proposed ban of conversion therapy.
“We believe that human sexuality is a gift of God to be cherished and honoured. It is an intrinsic part of who we are as human beings and an expression of God’s glorious diversity in creation,” said the bishops.
“We also urge the Senedd to bring in robust legislation to ban conversion therapy in all its forms thereby offering protection to LGBTQI+ people in Wales from this abusive and damaging practice.”
The UK Government’s draft legislation will be ready in the spring.
