An east Belfast church has denied suggestions it is hosting an event next week aimed at "curing" gay people, saying it just wants to help them remain celibate and Christian.

Willowfield Parish Church on My Lady's Road is to host an Evangelical Alliance-led event on March 8 entitled Is Your Church Biblically Inclusive?

It's claimed the course is designed for those who are, or want to be, a committed Christian but identify as homosexual.

An advertisement for the course states: "The Living Out Course is designed to help church leaders to understand how they can help those who experience same-sex attraction to stay faithful to biblical teaching and flourish at the same time."

However, church rector David McClay said the course was not a "gay therapy course" and that he and his family had been subjected to abusive phone calls and social media posts because of misinformation surrounding next week's event.

"We have gay people in our congregation every Sunday. We have been totally misrepresented by what has been posted on social media," he said.

Mr McClay also stressed that next week's event is not one that advocates so-called conversion therapy for gay people.

"Same-sex attracted people will be sharing their stories in order to help them become disciple-like and maintain living a celibate life," he said. "It's to help people of all ages who are seeking to be Christian.

"I understand that some people are angry because they have been given the wrong information. I totally refute that we are involved in conversion therapy, nor do the EA (Evangelical Alliance) ever run courses like that. The course is designed to better support people in this situation.

"We are not running a course to 'cure queers', as was said to me in an abusive message."

However, Lurgan-born gay actor and singer Conleth Kane said: "This is so dangerous and sends out the totally wrong message to people.

"Look at the levels of suicide because of people's guilt over their sexuality. It's saying that being gay is wrong and that people 'should turn to the light', as it were.

"It's such a dangerous thing to promote to vulnerable young people from the LGBT community, and for me again shows how far behind Northern Ireland is in terms of equality."

Peter Lynas of the Evangelical Alliance said: "Unfortunately some very inaccurate comments have been posted online about the event.

"The story is simply that a group of Christians, some of whom are attracted to the same sex, are meeting to explore how they best support one other to live faithfully within the teachings of the Bible and the Church. It is vital that churches and people of faith have the freedom to discuss human sexuality and how it is lived out within their religious life together."

EA has partnered with Living Out for the event. Mr Lynas added: "Living Out is all about training church leaders to love as Jesus loved and banish any homophobia in their churches. This event does not feature conversion, reparative or 'gay cure' therapy. No efforts are being made to change anyone's sexuality and reports to the contrary are false and misleading."

The event came to light after a nearby business, Willowfield Funeral Home, received phone calls asking if it was hosting a 'gay therapy' course. Its director Stephen Barr said the event had nothing to do with his business.

"We received phone calls last week calling us homophobes," he said. "We explained that we were not hosting any course and that we are a small business who have the support of and do support everyone in the community. The names of both places are similar so we can understand how people got mixed up."

Belfast Telegraph