Some more detail on the CTES published stories of Conversion Therapy Exorcism Practices, evidencing harm in the UK
TW. Abuse, detail
Vinnie’s Case could also be categorised as Sexual Abuse, and is a familiar, recognisable pattern for abuse survivors **
Because the leaders of his Church believe the theology that being gay is wrong, they are empowered to abuse this 18 year old, using their position of power to make him feel guilt, shame and helplessness **
Vinnie is 18 (a young person) He is asked leading, intrusive questions about his sexual feelings, practice and attractions He is made to kneel in a circle of twelve grown men He is shouted at **
He is forced into “pretending” to be healed of his same-sex attraction which leads him into a season of feeling guilt, which doesn’t go aw…
Some more detail on the CTES published stories of Conversion Therapy Exorcism Practices, evidencing harm in the UK
TW. Abuse, detail
Vinnie’s Case could also be categorised as Sexual Abuse, and is a familiar, recognisable pattern for abuse survivors **
Because the leaders of his Church believe the theology that being gay is wrong, they are empowered to abuse this 18 year old, using their position of power to make him feel guilt, shame and helplessness **
Vinnie is 18 (a young person) He is asked leading, intrusive questions about his sexual feelings, practice and attractions He is made to kneel in a circle of twelve grown men He is shouted at **
He is forced into “pretending” to be healed of his same-sex attraction which leads him into a season of feeling guilt, which doesn’t go away easily **
He is used as a “poster boy” - - often churches cite previous cases, but they never “undo” those stories when the people inevitably turn out to still be same-sex attracted (see Exodus International, and I’m looking at your future too #livingout) **
Vinnie is able to overcome the odds stacked against him when he is asked to perpetrate the same harm against someone else
Often, survivors can put up with any amount of harm ourselves, but can see the harm when it’s moved to others **
Unlike the original abusers, Vinnie has enough compassion to choose to Not Harm
He said, “No”
Honestly and forgiveness, not hiddeness, are the things which help him in the end **
Noah’s Case shows that churches which hold to the theology of binary understanding, “Adam and Eve” literalism, when it comes to bodies can cause harm
It also illustrates the harm which comes from a belief in “Power Healing” **
Noah’s parents let the church know that Noah has Klinefelter Syndrome, and the leaders react by accusing his parents or ancestors of having sinned, they believe this variation is caused by a “generational curse” **
A belief in Power Healing is the theology which empowers them to cause harm to Noah
Noah has learning difficulties but this is not given any regard by the Church team
He is tricked/manipulated into the abusive practices of Coercive Prayer **
He is made to feel shame, to feel like everyone is looking at him/judging him **
He does not give informed consent to these practices, and is originally abused by the leadership
As a result, he also lost his religion for a time, but was able to reconnect by finding a safe, inclusive space **
Both of these cases illustrate the real life impact of harmful theological practice - - both in terms of holding anti-gay, binary views on the body, but also in using “Power Healing” methods and Coercive Prayer on these individuals **
Both have their lives ruined by the use of these practices, and Noah also loses his faith.
This is the real life impact.
Full stories are published on the CTES website, and we’d love to hear your stories too if you want to share them
…versiontherapyexorcismsurvivors.co.uk **
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More from @MattDrapps
Jun 23
A year ago, Living Out dropped a secret project - - now they are ready to roll it out.
“For over a year, the Emerging Generations team here at Living Out have been beavering away on a top-secret project...”
That project was Keleidoscope - an explicitly anti-gay kids project...
If you don’t know, Living Out is a Christian organisation in the UK which is based on the “celibacy” model of Conversion Therapy Practices, encouraging people to suppress their same-sex attraction in order to follow “God’s” design for marriage
They used to be endorsed by Mike Pilavachi, including a quote from him on their website. Mike modelled their celibacy model. They swiftly removed his endorsement after his fall from grace, as they explained to me, they were coincidentally thinning the website at that time
Read 22 tweets
Jun 12
I’m back because I want to do a long form here on Mountain of Fire and Miracles and talk about Conversion Therapy Practices not being just a white story with white survivors, white queer culture and Church of England assumptions
I was recently sent this horrific book of Healing and Deliverance Prayers for Gays and Lesbians (@ The Midnight Gate) by Anthony O. Akerele. Also known as:
Homosexuals: People Paying for what They Did Not Buy!
This anti-gay book is published (2011) by Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Virginia. But I’ve been shown evidence of it being used in the UK as a form on Conversion Therapy Practice in MoFM churches
Read 41 tweets
Dec 26, 2024
A very brief history of Megachurch Branding, given by Lizzie, in the LESSER LIGHT, Boxing Day chapters: “It was branding, wasn’t it? All of it. Morgan needed a theory of Christianity he could brand as his own. Christianity is always being rebranded...
... About every forty years the whole system changes. Did you know, in the early 1900s, there were streams of Christanity laser focused on maintaining white supremacy by any means, and a bunch of proof texts were dragged out of context to ‘protect’ against interracial marriage.”
She made air quotes. “Preachers and politicians greased each others palms with arguments that backed one another up. In America, being antisegregation was considered anti-church...
Read 40 tweets
Nov 8, 2024
I’m reading the Makin Report. I’m not planning a detailed live read after the Soul Survivor Report tweets really took it out of me. I will make comment as I go. I’m confident the report speaks for itself, and recommend reading in full and digesting the implications for all
The opening points 1.1-1.12 alone are enough to lead to mass resignations. This Report is truely heartbreaking and I’m on page 2 of over 200.
Calls for an independent organisation, if only one had already been set up and not disbanded by the House of Bishops, hmmmmm
“...the development of a wholly independent body, free from direct influence by senior Church officers...”
Read 82 tweets
Oct 13, 2024
Ok, I’m diving into the next bit of the Soul Survivor Report. Wish me luck.
When we were last here, we were looking at the nature of the report and the nature of the organisations, and noting the writers had made choices which minimised the Active choices made by Mike Pilavachi, and implied a Passive oopsydaisey things happen approach to Spiritual Abuse.
Read 52 tweets
Oct 8, 2024
Alright, let’s go then.
I’ve got time.
#soulsurvivor #scoldingreport #pilavachi #exposeChurchAbuse #churchabuse #spiritualabuse
“He was ebullient, generous-hearted, kind to many, and an inspirational figure. But alongside that, hiding in plain sight, was someone who manipulated and controlled others, bullied and sought to abuse his power over those whom he worked alongside in the church”
“That abuse of power has caused deep psychological harm to many with whom he worked closely over 30 years.”
Read 65 tweets