Miriam Cates: Tory candidate denies knowledge of 'gay conversion therapy' while trustee of Sheffield church

A report has upheld a complaint that a gay man was subject to an “exorcism” at Sheffield’s St Thomas Philadelphia Church.

Matt Drapper told The Star in 2020 how he was persuaded by church leaders to renounce his sexual orientation as an “agreement with Satan” and made to “vomit out the gay” in an incident in 2014.

The church has now formally apologised to Mr Drapper after a report by charity Barnardos upheld his complaint.

The report, published on Monday (July 1), reads: “...the culture of the church [in 2014] was one in which the presence of evil spirits and ‘ungodly soul ties’ were believed to be the cause of homosexual thoughts, feelings and behaviour, and prayers of ‘deliverance’ for homosexuals were not uncommon”.

Further, the Diocese of Sheffield has also issued a statement describing conversion therapy as “unethical, potentially harmful” and something which “has no place in the modern world” after a report upheld the survivor’s complaint.

The report has also prompted a response by Miriam Cates, a Conservative candidate for Penistone and Stocksbridge who has been an MP there since 2019 and was a member, trustee and director of St Thomas Philadelphia Church between 2003 and 2018, and on the Board of Trustees between 2016 and 2018.

Yesterday (July 2) Mrs Cates wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “It has been reported that I was once part of a church that has been accused of gay conversion therapy. “I have never been involved with or aware of such ‘therapy’ taking place and strongly condemn such practices.”

The report found that knowledge and discussion of gay conversion therapy was openly discussed and part of the church’s culture during the time Mrs Cates was a member and trustee.

Meanwhile, the BBC reports Mrs Cates would have “had safeguarding responsibilities for those who attended” as a result of her role between 2016 and 2018. She left the church at the end of 2018.

Mr Drapper previously told The Star how he was left feeling “floated and disembodied” above his own “shaking body” as he was told to “shout at demons, telling them to go”. Speaking about the experience, Mr Drapper said: “At the time it was such an intense system of beliefs - you totally bought into it.

“I had always felt there was something wrong with being gay but after the prayer meeting I felt empty and lost for a few months.”

Mr Drapper has written a book recounting his traumatic experiences - called Bringing Me Back To Me.

The Barnados report said it found evidence of such beliefs and practices still being delivered in November 2019, linking “spirit possession and homosexuality and the ways in which these spirits should and could be expelled and how, as a consequence, homosexuals would be ‘healed’”.

The report stated: “It is clear from information provided to us that deliverance ministries in relation to homosexuality was endorsed and supported by the church.”

Deliverance rites were said to be those thought to be able to “exorcise the demons that cause homosexuality” and therefore “allow gay individuals to be ‘healed’”.

A further statement on Ms Cates’ behalf said: “During her time as a Trustee, none of these allegations were raised to her knowledge, and no individual raised any such concern with her. If they had she would have taken them very seriously and investigated them.”

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It added said there is “no suggestion that any of the events” alleged to have taken place occurred while she was on the board of trustees.

It stated: “For the avoidance of doubt, Miriam does not and has never advocated what is referred to as ‘gay conversion therapy’.

“She has never participated in such activities, and she was not aware – nor was there any way that she could have been aware – of Mr Drapper’s allegations, which were not, to her knowledge, raised during the time that she was on the leadership of the church, and only surfaced after she left.”

Following her time as trustee until 2018, Ms Cates “moved on to a different church for family reasons”, the statement said.

The Diocese of Sheffield said in a statement: “We deeply regret that the process has taken so long and understand the frustrations of those who have been affected. We apologise unreservedly to the survivor for the distress this has caused and to anyone else similarly affected by such practices in the past.

“The Diocese of Sheffield believes, along with the wider Church of England, that conversion therapy is unethical, potentially harmful and has no place in the modern world. The Church of England takes all allegations of misconduct and abuse seriously.”