In Depth:  Lisa Nolland

Recently I asked to meet the Archbishop of Canterbury (ABC), and received a negative response (you can read the full letter at the end of the article).

In particular I wanted to introduce Dr Mike Davidson to the ABC. Mike is ex-gay and his organisation, CORE, helps those wanting to move out of homosexuality pursue their aims through psychological and (sometimes) pastoral support. The ABC has met many interested parties; has he met groups like CORE? He readily refers to the ‘LGBTI’; what about ex-gays? If ‘it is paramount that no voice is unheard’, why the omission?

A Parliamentary debate entitled ‘Gay conversion therapies and the NHS’ was held in Westminster Hall on 4 November.

Many Christians are beginning to realise that gay issues are not receding in importance, but rather the opposite. Most worrying is the impact on our young people, increasing numbers of whom are ‘exploring’ their sexuality and ‘coming out’, even in the church.

Christian Concern put on classy events. Beyond expectations: Timeless Truth in Contemporary Culture which took place on 9 January in London was one such.

The content was different: thought-provoking and creative, often novel – a game-changer. The speakers – Jeffrey Ventrella, Joe Boot, Peter Jones, Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, Andrea Williams and Andrew Marsh---were not only brilliant but modest and accessible made their material very persuasive.

A recent document on homophobic bullying and church schools has been produced and endorsed by the Church of England Archbishops’ Council Education Division and the prestigious National Society.

Entitled Valuing All God’s Children (VAGC), it aims to ensure schools are ‘safe’ places for all youngsters, and does so through warning of the evils of homophobia, and offering a decalogue of far-reaching recommendations to the nation’s 5,500 church schools.