Ex-gay ministry the same despite new boss

Ex-gay ministry the same despite new boss

 

 SYDNEY-based ex-gay organisation Liberty Christian Ministries has said the appointment of a new head for their pastoral care program is unlikely to bring about any changes to the program in the near future.

Questions were raised earlier this month around whether the appointment of unknown pastoral care worker Allan Starr to the role in December would impact the organisation’s ex-gay activities.

LCM offers support services for Christians “who struggle with the relational and sexual brokenness associated with unwanted same-sex attraction”.

LCM Management Committee Chairman David Peterson told the Star Observer Starr’s theological education and pastoral experience made him the best candidate out of a breadth of applicants for the position, but said he doesn’t begin in the role until February.

No changes to the ministry are envisaged until Allan has been in post for some time and assessed the needs of those who contact us,” Peterson said.

He also said previous pastoral care worker Hadyn Sennitt, who maintained LCM’s position of helping people to “overcome” same-sex attraction, has continued to assist the ministry despite resigning last year.

Haydn Sennitt resigned as Pastoral Worker last year because he wanted to devote himself full-time to his theological studies, but he has continued to help us on a casual basis until now,” Peterson said.

Ambassadors and Bridge Builders International founder Anthony Venn-Brown, who works with religious organisations on LGBTI issues, said he hoped Starr would be more open to dialogue with his organisation than previous LCM pastoral care workers.

LCM is one of the few organisations who resisted this. I will certainly make another attempt when Allan Starr commences in February and hopefully this time the leadership at LCM wont block it,” Venn-Brown told the Star Observer.

RELATED: Questions over new ex-gay program boss

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