Thousands of Christians urged the government to scrap plans for a ban on “conversion therapy”, and warned it could criminalise prayer, pastoral guidance and the expression of traditional Christian beliefs. 

The open letter, part of The Christian Institute’s “Let Us Pray” campaign, was sent to the new Equalities Minister, Olivia Bailey.  

It was signed by nearly one thousand church leaders and more than three thousand Christians across the UK. 

Rev Dr Matthew Roberts, minister of Trinity Church York and a signatory to the letter, told Premier Christian News the proposed law was being misrepresented. 

“The campaign to criminalise what is called conversion therapy is really not about trying to end abuse,” Roberts said. “It’s presented as that, but actually it’s about making it a criminal offence to oppose LGBT ideology.” 

Roberts said existing laws already punished abusive or harmful practices and warned that the new legislation could make it a crime “to ever suggest that someone should not act on their sexual desires.”  

He cautioned that “normal Christian teaching” on sex and marriage could fall foul of the law, even in youth groups or pastoral conversations. 

He urged believers to respond with prayer, adding that Christians should “pray to God to guide our government and leaders so that we have good laws, not bad ones.”