Presbyterian General Assembly 2025: Concerns raised about conversion therapy and assisted dying bills

Speaking from the platform, the Convener of the Council for Public Affairs, Rev Daniel Kane, spoke of how the Church engages with the public square and public representatives saying.

He said: “Conversations about sexuality, gender, abortion, free speech, assisted suicide and welcoming the stranger, are not distractions from the Gospel – they are not distractions from the gospel, they are the front lines of mission in the quiet revival.”

He and PCI’s Public Affairs Officer, Dr Bex Stevenson had met Alliance Party Deputy Leader Eoin Tennyson MLA to discuss his private members bill to ban conversion therapy.

In December Mr Tennyson launched draft legislation which could jail pastors or counsellors who help anyone change sexual orientation or gender identity for up to seven years.

Mr Tennyson said conversion therapy "has real mental health consequences in terms of feelings of guilt, of shame, suicidal ideation and depression and anxiety – I don't believe we should be standing for that as a society". He proposed two new criminal offences - engaging in conversion practice and removing a person from Northern Ireland for conversion practice.

Speaking to the General Assembly on Tuesday night, Rev Kane said: “We expressed our deep concerns regarding his proposal, especially our dissatisfaction with the term ‘Conversion Therapy.’ This term continues to be a wide, ill-defined umbrella term covering all kinds of abusive practices many of which are outlawed already.”

Rev Kane continued: “We made it clear to Mr Tennyson that it would be difficult to draft legislation that protected the rights of ministers, church workers and parents as they walk alongside those who struggle with their sexuality pastorally and prayerfully. We also expressed our opposition to Private Member’s Bills being used to introduce new legislation of this magnitude.”

The General Assembly expressed its "grave concern" at the Bill in one of the resolutions that it passed. With the House of Commons debating the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill again on Friday, the General Assembly also passed a number of resolutions against it. Rev Kane said: “There are signs that some parliamentarians who previously voted in favour of the bills [in the parliaments at Westminster and Holyrood] are now likely to abstain or even vote against. I commend our Resolution, which calls us to urgent prayer that this dangerous Bill will fall. “The real scandal is the lack of appropriate care and support for people who are deemed terminally ill and their families. A large proportion of palliative care in Northern Ireland is funded through charitable donations and fund-raising activities.

"This untenable situation has been exacerbated by the Chancellor’s recent increase in national insurance contributions, which threatens the very sustainability of these services at a time when they should be boosted to provide a much better alternative to assisted suicide.” Addressing Special Needs Education (SEN), the General Assembly welcomed Northern Ireland’s long awaited publication of the SEN Reform Agenda, "and strongly encourages the implementation of the delivery plans as a matter of urgency".

Members also affirmed "the vital work carried out by special schools across the island of Ireland and encourages congregation to make real and meaningful links with such schools in their local areas".