River Of Love Never Engaged In ‘Gay Conversion Therapy’, Pastor Insists After Matthew Grech Charged
River of Love pastor Gordon-John Manche’ said his evangelical church never practiced gay conversion therapy after one of the church’s most prominent members, Matthew Grech, was charged with promoting the practice.
“Never has any kind of therapy or so-called conversion therapy ever taken place inside River of Love and claims that they do are barefaced lies,” Manche’ told Lovin Malta.
“No one who attended River of Love was ever given some kind of conversion therapy. No one in Malta practices or has ever practiced, conversion therapy because – as many people have stressed time and time again – conversion therapy never existed here.”
He said that River of Love preaches the “complete” teachings of Jesus and that any form of conversion therapy is inferior to the power of God.
“Many people of goodwill are aware of a deceptive, liberal, militant agenda that is perpetuated by some who continue bullying the voice of Christ and the role of his church in Malta. Don’t play their games and don’t accept the poison they’re feeding you as they work to keep robbing you and slowly eroding your rights.”
Parliamentary Secretary for Equality Rebecca Buttigieg
Grech announced this week that he has been charged with promoting “conversion therapy” after he spoke on PMNews about how he used to be gay but became straight with God’s help.
He was charged a mere few days after Equality Parliamentary Secretary Rebecca Buttigieg stated that the 2016 law outlawing “conversion therapy” had been updated to include a ban against promoting the practice.
However, Manche’ warned that Grech’s prosecution goes against his right to free expression.
“Everyone who believes in freedom and free expression should believe that everyone has a sacred right to live their lives as they please, believe what they want, and seek out services, help, religions and philosophies that they want without anyone stopping them,” he said.
Grech has repeatedly used his own experience to insist that people aren’t born gay but that homosexuality is actually a lifestyle inconsistent with the word of God.
His views, which he expanded on in detail in a 2019 film called “Once Gay”, have been widely condemned by LGBT+ activists as inaccurate, unscientific and prejudicial against gay people.
When Lovin Malta asked Manche’ whether he agrees that people are born gay or whether they can change their sexual orientation, the pastor responded that “everyone should be free to believe what they want”.
“Every person answers that to him or herself. I have no right to force on you what you can do or not do, or what to believe or not to believe about your own life,” he said.
“That’s true Freedom. Freedom of belief, freedom of speech, freedom of lifestyle, freedom of religion, freedom of practice, freedom.”
“Let everyone believes whatever he wants to believe for himself. There are millions of people on earth and millions of beliefs. You should respect anyone who has a different belief from you and, vice versa, that person should respect what you believe.”
Pastor Gordon-John Manche’
“This is even more true if one believes in freedom of expression, religion, practice, ideology, philosophy, faith, etcetera. In a democratic society this is what equality really means.”
“Treat everyone with respect and treat everyone as you wish to be treated.”
“Freedom includes the freedom to share and exchange ideals which everyone is also free to accept or reject, as well as to honourably agree or disagree with.”
“In reality it shouldn’t be that hard, unless one wants to impose his/her ideals. Equality is the state of being equal, especially in status, rights, or opportunities. Equality is about ensuring that every individual has an equal opportunity to make the most of their lives and talents.”
“It is also the belief that no one should have poorer life chances because of the way they were born, where they come from, what they believe, or whether they have a disability. Equal yet all the while all different and unique!”
Cover photo: Left: Pastor Gordon-John Manche’, Right: Matthew Grech
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