The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have given the green light for a fringe event featuring ex-gay Christians during the Church of England General Synod after coming under pressure from revisionists to cancel it.
The event on Monday morning will hear from Matthew Grech, who was recently acquitted of promoting so-called ‘conversion practices’ in Malta after he shared his testimony of leaving homosexuality behind on a radio programme.
The second guest speaker is Mike Davidson, chairman of the International Foundation for Therapeutic and Counselling Choice (IFTCC), which supports therapy for people with unwanted same-sex attraction and gender dysphoria. His charity was de-banked without explanation by Barclays Bank in 2020. The bank settled just before the case was due to be heard at the High Court.
Fringe events are not part of the official business of General Synod. They are organised independently by Synod members to run alongside Synod sessions and are optional to attend.
The event, “People Change: Sexual Identity Transformation”, triggered a backlash from the progressive wing of the Church, with the openly gay priest and Synod member Rev Dr Charlie Bączyk-Bell posting on X, “I find it both genuinely disgusting and astonishing that this trash is being given a space in the Fringe space of General Synod.”
Dozens of revisionists in the Church of England wrote to Archbishops Sarah Mullally and Stephen Cottrell asking them to exercise their “discretionary powers under the fringe meeting guidelines” in relation to the hosting of the event and an accompanying exhibition stand.
These powers reserve the Archbishops “the right to refuse a fringe meeting where its subject matter would be contrary to the ethos of the Church of England, may adversely affect its reputation, or would be inconsistent with House of Bishops’ safeguarding guidance”.
“We would therefore be grateful if you could explain how those criteria were applied in relation to both the fringe meeting and the exhibition stand,” the letter reads.
“Our concern is heightened by the Church’s own safeguarding commitments.”
Christian Concern, whose CEO Andrea Williams will also speak at the event, said organisers subsequently received a letter from the Archbishops threatening to cancel the event over concerns about safeguarding and compatibility with the Church of England’s ethos – General Synod voted in support of a ban on so-called conversion therapy in July 2017.
In response, event host and Synod member Rebecca Hunt wrote to the Archbishops saying it was “lamentable” that ex-gay Christians like Grech “would be treated like a pariah and referred to as ‘trash’ by a member of General Synod”.
She said there was no safeguarding case to answer as neither Grech nor Davidson received abusive ‘conversion therapy’ but “experienced positive, beneficial change” after becoming Christians.
“There is a great need for the Church to understand what kinds of pastoral support and counselling are helpful,” she said.
“Given the extremely broad definitions of conversion therapy, ranging from electric shocks … through to consensual, gentle prayer or ordinary talk counselling, it would be foolish to assume that every possible form of support is harmful or a safeguarding risk.
“Not least when even preaching the Church’s own doctrine on sex and marriage is sometimes labelled ‘conversion therapy’.”
Hunt said that safeguarding must not be misused to censor Christian testimony or debate, especially where it concerns “weighty truths expressed in scripture that pertain to matters of salvation”.
“Nothing about my event or the positions that would be promoted at it are inconsistent with the safeguarding of children or vulnerable adults,” she said.
“It is inconsistent for Christians to believe that such profound changes of nature can take place among those who are being renewed by the Holy Spirit, yet disbelieve even the possibility that some of these people would experience change in their self-identification, desires or behaviours.”
She added, “Churches need to know what appropriate support can be given to those who seek to live faithfully as Christians and to the Bible’s teaching on sexuality as they understand it.”
Williams said it was “extraordinary and deeply concerning” that the Archbishops would consider cancelling the event.
“To threaten cancellation of this event after a social media post branding it ‘trash’ gives the clear impression that intimidation and activist pressure are being allowed to dictate what Christians may hear, say and discuss at General Synod,” she said.
“This amounts to censorship of one of the key gospel issues of our times.
“If the Church cannot even hear the stories of people such as Matthew Grech, who was dragged through criminal proceedings in Malta simply for speaking about his Christian testimony, then something has gone very seriously wrong.”
She added, “The Church of England’s own doctrine has not changed. Those who hold to that doctrine must not be treated as reputational risks or safeguarding threats.”
A letter from the Archbishops to protesters reveals they have now backed down and permitted the event to go ahead as planned, although they have used their powers to block the exhibition stand.
A spokesperson for the Church of England said, “A General Synod member has applied to host a Synod fringe meeting and related public display on ‘sexual identity transformation’ at the forthcoming General Synod meeting at the University of York. The organiser has made clear both will challenge the principles of a ban on conversion practices.
“Following careful consideration The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York have informed the Synod member that their fringe meeting, as a private discussion for Synod members and invited guests, may go ahead as planned but has declined permission for the associated stand and public display.
“In 2017 the General Synod voted, by a large majority, in favour of a ban on conversion practices. A publicly visible display would act as a public statement contrary to that stated position and is not appropriate in the circumstances.”
The fringe event is taking place as the government moves forward with plans to ban so-called conversion therapy.
Despite its support for a conversion therapy ban, the Church of England has voiced concerns about the government’s draft proposals in the House of Lords.
The Bishop of Leicester, Martyn Snow, said, “I have a number of concerns about the drafting of this Bill and indeed particular concerns about the lack of clarity on the difference between harmful conversion practices and perfectly acceptable practices of pastoral care and indeed prayer.
“If this difference is not crystal-clear within the legislation, it will potentially have a very significant negative impact on what I believe is legitimate spiritual care offered by faith groups.”
Other Christian groups are strongly opposed to the plans, including the Evangelical Alliance and The Christian Institute.
On Monday, Synod will debate a Private Member’s Motion asking it to affirm that there are “no fundamental objections to being in a committed, faithful, intimate same-sex relationship, and that such a relationship can be entirely compatible with Christian discipleship”.