Church leaders write to PM over concerns with Conversion Therapy Bill

Church leaders, representing 1,300 churches, wrote to PM Keir Starmer on the threat the Conversion Therapy Bill poses to mainstream Christian practices, after it was proposed in the King's speech this week.

Church leaders are concerned that the proposed ban could criminalise mainstream Christian practices. The group explained that mainstream Christian teachings are being mistaken for illegal and abusive conversion therapy practices which are already illegal in the UK.

The letter reads; "Some even want a conversion therapy ban to cover gentle, non-coercive prayer. This raises the alarming prospect of police and prosecutors having to decide whether someone has prayed ‘the wrong kind of prayer.

Conversations between parents and their children are also at risk from this broad definition of conversion therapy. This would affect gender-critical parents, not just those who are Christian."

Revd Dr Matthew Robert’s, a signatory of the letter, spoke with Premier Christian News and explained that the proposed Bill "would capture any Christian minister or youth worker who gave normal Christian teaching, commending marriage as being one man and one woman, faithful for life."

The letter also highlighted that some activists are calling for the ban to cover ‘gentle, non-coercive prayer.’ Therefore, they have urged the Prime Minister to provide safeguards to be added to the Bill to mitigate against the criminalisation of mainstream Christian teaching and non-coercive prayer.