In just over 48 hours after its publication, more than 1,000 Christians—including church leaders from major denominations and other community figures—signed an open letter urging the New South Wales (NSW) government to repeal the newly enacted 2024 NSW Conversion Practices Ban Act.
The Open Windows letter, addressed to NSW Premier Chris Minns and Deputy Premier Prue Car, expresses deep concerns about the law, which criminalises certain Christian practices related to prayer and counselling for individuals seeking guidance on sexual desires and gender identity. The signatories, including pastors, community leaders, and ministry workers, argue that the law undermines their religious freedoms and conflicts with their core mission of serving all individuals, including those with same-sex attraction or gender dysphoria, with “love, gentleness, and respect.”
According to the letter, which was published earlier this week, the churches involved in the coalition hold to the biblical belief that God created humanity as male and female, with sexual expression to be reserved for marriage between one man and one woman. The signatories assert that it is the church’s duty to offer pastoral care to individuals struggling with sexual identity issues and to help them live in accordance with what they believe is God’s design for human sexuality.
The letter warns that the law criminalises actions such as advising children about sexuality or praying with individuals who are seeking to align their lives with Christian teachings. This, they argue, directly contradicts the church’s right to provide spiritual guidance and pastoral care in line with their religious convictions.
“We want to make it clear that we will continue to minister according to the teachings of the Bible, regardless of the law,” the letter concludes. “While we respect the government, we will not conform to legislation that infringes on our right to freely practice our faith.”
Speaking with Caldron Pool, Vaughan Smith, minister of Taree Presbyterian Church and the author of the letter, explained his reasons for organising the statement. “I wanted the letter to do three things,” Smith said. “First, to make the NSW government aware that Australian Christians won’t be pressured into conforming to their standards, to call them to repentance, and to urge lawmakers to rescind the legislation and its associated materials.
“The other goals were more ‘in-house,'” Smith explained.
“Whenever there is pressure against Christians, there is an opportunity for church and ministry leaders to boldly ‘make space’ for their people to follow them. For a few years now, I’ve had the growing conviction that we weren’t doing that well. We would ‘nuance’ particular issues beyond the understanding of our congregants, and lull one another into a false sense of security.
“My other two goals were therefore to wake up leaders who, like me, had been sleeping on this growing encroachment by the authorities, and to give our churches the boldness to stand. The church grows strong when it speaks with courage. God has given us the opportunity to do so here.”
The letter’s signatories are calling on the government to repeal the law, which they believe threatens religious freedoms, and to create new legislation that protects individuals from coercion while still allowing faith practices to continue without interference.
You can read and sign the letter by visiting OpenWindowsLetter.com
