The Government of Canada has now passed a conversion therapy ban that may have far-reaching implications for church leaders, teachers, and parents. In order to prepare the Church to faithfully navigate these conversion therapy bans, ARPA Canada, Free to Care, the Acacia Group, and the Reformed Bible College are (co-)hosting a series of conferences in Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta in 2022. The format for these weekend conferences is outlined below.
Part 1: Information Evenings
The information sessions on Friday evenings are designed for any Christians, their friends, and their neighbours who are interested in understanding the issue of conversion therapy and how poorly drafted legal bans have negative effects not only on the Christian and broader community but also on our LGBTQ neighbours. Doors open at 7:00 PM and the presentations begin at 7:30 sharp. Everyone welcome!
Please register for one of the Thursday/Friday evening sessions below:
Part 2: Practical Workshops & Breakout Sessions
The practical training Saturday sessions are tailored to (but not exclusively for) church office bearers, pastors, ministry leaders, and teachers building off of the Friday evening information evening. They seek to:
- Assist elders and pastors to respond well to church members’ questions about sexual ethics and/or identity
- Help elders and pastors speak about issues of sexual ethics and personal identity in ways that are biblically sound and that are aware of political and legal sensitivities
- Provide advice for pastors regarding the manner in which they can address sensitive issues in their sermons
- Help churches formulate / develop / adapt church policies
The Ontario session begins at 8:00 AM sharp, and we hope to wrap up by noon. Given current circumstances, we will not be serving breakfast or lunch, but we will have some light snacks and coffee available.
Please register for one of the Saturday sessions below. Please note, if you hope to join us for a Saturday session, we highly recommend that you attend a Friday session as well.
Each event will feature André Schutten, legal counsel and the director of law & policy with ARPA Canada, and Jojo Ruba, the executive director of Free to Care, with John Sikkema, a lawyer with The Acacia Group, joining the Ontario events. Each event will be moderated by the provincial managers (Ryan Mans in Ontario, Levi Minderhoud in British Columbia, and Ed Hoogerdyk in Alberta).
