Yes ... we follow, generally, the same structure. But it is (and has always been) much more than this. It involves people having an ongoing connection with God through Jesus, ... and being connected with other Christian believers. People need to take responsibilities for their own journeys, and Liberty can facilitate that. If people need help in more professional settings, then we can refer them onto a professional Christian counsellor or psychologist.

Going through a program alone is not enough to overcome same-sex attraction or any other unhealthy form of relationship: [a] personal relationship with God is a must, as well as healthy expectations and a long-term approach to help.

Many of our opponents claim that our programs cause people to be suicidal and depressed. I have never personally experienced that ... Some people give up, while others keep going and it's different for every individual. However, many people [do] successfully deal with their unwanted homosexuality. We do not offer "fixes" or "cures" for homosexuality, but we do believe that it can be healed over time.

3. In the US, Alan Chambers reportedly told a conference: "The majority of people that I have met, and I would say the majority, meaning 99.9 per cent of them, have not experienced a change in their orientation." What is your response to that claim and could you talk about any of your success stories?

Putting a percentage figure on something like this is not particularly helpful, and I cannot answer for Chambers. Success is varied and it depends a lot on a person's personal commitment. I have seen in myself and others an ability for people to overcome same-sex attraction by persistence, prayer, and patience ... It's not easy and it often involves lapsing, disappointment, and frustration. In one study, Ex-Gays? A Longitudinal Study of Religiously Mediated Change in Sexual Orientation by Jones and Yarhouse, who studied a number of people who had overcome homosexuality over a long-term period, noted that about six in 10 were able to do so and that suicidal tendencies and depression were not necessarily connected to these efforts.

4. Your newsletter from July last year mentions several NSW churches and universities that you were engaging with. How have those relationships been going and what churches do you now partner with?

I am not comfortable naming those churches who are partnering with us because of the sensitive nature of what we do at Liberty Christian Ministries.

5. Anthony Venn-Brown and psychologist Paul Martin have said many people have been psychologically damaged and even suicidal after going through programs run by groups such as Liberty and Living Waters. Do you believe that has happened or is a risk of happening?

No. If anything, the psychological damage can occur when expectations and motivations for change are unhealthy or unrealistic (e.g. I will stop being gay in a year so I can get a girlfriend and get married). Often people get depressed when they realise that the journey is going to take longer than they had anticipated and when it gets hard. Some give up entirely because it's so hard and it's actually their disappointment with themselves that gets them undone. To be honest though, some programs have been unhelpful. Those that have made unrealistic promises, like making people "straight" in a certain period can, I believe, set people up for much disappointment.

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