Providing pastoral care for those who experience same-sex attraction or gender incongruence

True Freedom Trust (TFT) is a UK-registered charity and an agency member of Affinity. They were founded in 1977 as a teaching and pastoral support ministry that holds to the orthodox biblical view of sex, gender and relationships. Their desire is to be full of grace and truth as they teach God’s word in churches, conferences and Bible colleges, and as they provide pastoral care for those who experience same-sex attraction or gender incongruence. Simon Byrne, Teaching & Outreach Manager, shares more about the ministry of TFT.

Pastoral Care

TFT does not perform conversion therapy, usually thought of as any attempt to change a person’s sexual orientation. Instead, our pastoral care focuses on walking alongside individuals in their costly discipleship as they choose, for reasons of faith, not to have a same-sex partner. Much of our pastoral care is delivered through our network of 40 volunteer workers. Volunteers are available to meet new contacts one to one or chat over the phone/via email and share their own experience of how the good news of the gospel has helped them to reconcile their faith and their sexuality and live a fulfilled life in Christ.

We stress the importance of healthy Christian community being vital for the flourishing of the body of Christ, particularly for those who have chosen to remain single and celibate. We work with churches to provide training and consultation on how to create welcoming spaces for members of the LGBTQ community. We have local support (Barnabas) groups that meet in homes and churches across the UK and Ireland as well as online. These groups provide regular support and encouragement for those that appreciate this ongoing connection.

We are a membership organisation, with around 1,600 members, most of whom live in the UK and Ireland. Membership allows individuals to access local support groups and our members-only events such as our annual residential conference each October. All members confirm their agreement with our Basis of Belief. We also regularly run events open to the public.

We receive around two to three new contacts seeking support each week. Most of these are through our website. Not everyone who contacts us experiences same-sex attraction or gender incongruence themselves. We also support parents, spouses, friends, families and ministers as they support others.

Speaking & Teaching

In addition to our pastoral support, we have a team of 12 speakers who visit churches, Bible colleges and Christian events across the UK and Ireland and share the good news of the gospel. That it is for all people, regardless of their sexual orientation or experience of gender. All of our speakers experience same-sex attraction personally and are able to share their testimony alongside biblical teaching.

Speakers come from a diverse range of churchmanships and denominational backgrounds and are experienced in speaking in a wide range of contexts. We’ve done everything from Sunday sermons to lectures and workshops, to informal studies with small groups. We are acutely aware of the sensitivity of the subject matter and seek to embody gentleness and grace while sharing biblical truth.

Resources

Our website includes online articles which consider many of the questions people are asking about the subject of same-sex attraction. There are also personal stories from TFT members and others who face issues in their lives and seek to follow orthodox teaching. We have a reading list of the most helpful books for Christians seeking biblical teaching and practical encouragement around sexuality, and a selection of reviews of books that are considered to be biblical and helpful. 

Articles in our quarterly Ascend magazine often need to be edited down to fit within the required word count. To give space to discuss certain articles in greater depth, the staff team record occasional podcasts under the banner “Ascend Higher”, covering the issues raised in a more conversational style.

Current Challenges and how you can support True Freedom Trust

While TFT was originally set up to support those that experience same-sex attraction, recent years have seen a large increase in the number of people approaching us for help with matters of gender identity. In particular, we receive a lot of contact from parents of children experiencing what is known as rapid-onset gender dysphoria, where their child’s feelings have come on seemingly out of the blue. These matters are often incredibly complex, and TFT staff and volunteers have been working in the background to develop responses that are theologically robust as well as pastorally sensitive. Please pray for us as we continue to develop our work in this area.

We continue to monitor legislative efforts in all regions of the UK to ban so-called conversion therapy. TFT does not engage in efforts to change a person’s sexual orientation, as we believe a person’s ongoing general pattern of attraction does not exclude them from a relationship with God. Join us in praying for a legislative solution that ends harmful and abusive practices while also enabling people to seek support to live their life as they choose before God.

Finally, we, like many churches and charities in the UK, are feeling the financial strain of increased costs. We’re immensely thankful for God’s provision for us for over four decades of ministry. Much of our giving comes through the committed generosity of our membership. We also have a number of church mission partners that support us financially and in prayer.

If you are an individual or represent a church that stands with us on the biblical truth around sex and relationships, we’d love for you to support us in prayer and/or financially as you are able. We really do believe that TFT is uniquely placed to show how the gospel offers hope for other same-sex attracted individuals who wish to hold to the historic church teaching. If you’d like to join us in our mission, please visit our website to find out more.