Please pray for Dr Mike Davidson, Director of Core Issues Trust (CIT), who is attending a critical meeting of the professional body for Christian counsellors, to appeal against its decision to ban CIT and individual therapists from offering help to men and women with unwanted same-sex attraction.
 
At 2pm tomorrow in Grantham (Wednesday 23 April) Dr Davidson will address a special meeting of the Executive of the Association of Christian Counsellors (ACC) which has banned its members from offering therapeutic support to people who want to reduce or possibly eliminate same-sex feelings. 

The ACC has refused to renew CIT’s membership after Dr Davidson raised concerns about a statement it issued in January, forbidding its members from offering help to people who want to change their sexual orientation and condemning what it calls ‘reparative’ or ‘conversion’ therapy.  
 
Dr Davidson will tell the Chairman of the ACC, Rev. Tony Ruddle, and his Executive body, that: “There are no known registered and practising Reparative Therapists in the UK, and ‘conversion’ therapy is a pejorative term which tends to discredit serious and scientifically supported Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE).  Core Issues Trust practices neither of these therapies, but offers support to individuals voluntarily seeking to alter unwanted same-sex feelings.” 
 
Dr Davidson will tell tomorrow’s Executive body that under the Equalities Act (2010) discrimination against a person because of their past actual or perceived sexual orientation, or because their sexual orientation has changed, is unlawful. He will say the ACC appears to misunderstand the provisions of the act as only protecting Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transexual people (LGBT). He will ask the Executive to call a special members’ meeting at which he can put his case.
 
“The ACC should be supporting professional Christian therapists who want to help individuals who have voluntarily sought to change their sexual identity, practices or feelings. It should not be banning professional counsellors or discriminating against a vulnerable minority who seek change therapy,” says Dr Davidson.
 
Andrea Williams of Christian Concern says:

“This is a critical moment in the life of the Association of Christian Counsellors and if they cannot stand with people such as Mike Davidson and Lesley Pilkington, then why do they exist.”
 
Please pray that:

• Dr Mike Davidson will present a strong and clear case for help to be permitted for people with unwanted same-sex attraction
• members of the Executive of the Association of Christian Counsellors will open their hearts to the appeal by Dr Davidson
• the Executive body will resist State pressure, and pressure from other professional bodies, to ban therapeutic support for people with unwanted same-sex feelings
• the Executive body will recognise that the Equalities Act gives protection to a person with a desire to change their sexual orientation just as members of the LGBT community are protected
• a special members’ meeting will be granted to enable Dr Davidson and other therapists concerned about the prohibition of change therapy, to present their case.