At the recent Sydney Anglican Synod, church leaders made a bold declaration: they will stand with clergy and lay workers who face punishment under Australia’s conversion practices laws.

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel and Bishop Michael Stead both spoke powerfully against laws that criminalise prayer, pastoral care, and conversations about sexuality and gender.

These laws, now passed in several states, potentially make it unlawful for Christians to offer prayer or guidance that affirms God’s design for human sexuality. Far from protecting people, they silence believers, intrude into private relationships and violate core freedoms of religion, conscience and speech. And even for cases that would not be unlawful, the uncertainty of the “grey zone” creates a chilling effect as many will avoid the risk.

Archbishop Raffel told the Synod that he would stand personally with any minister or Christian caught under these laws, insisting that: “We will obey God.”

Bishop Stead likewise warned that these laws are unjust, targeting faithful Christians for holding to beliefs that have been recognised for centuries:

I think this is the first time in my life there is now a genuine possibility that I could be in breach of the law in NSW for doing nothing more than teaching people what the Bible says about human sexuality, encouraging them to live in accordance with this and praying to that end.

This is not a question of politics but of principle. When a law forbids a pastor from praying with a parishioner, or a parent from counselling their child, it goes beyond regulating conduct. It strikes at the heart of religious freedom itself.

Laws that criminalise prayer are laws that criminalise faith.

The stance taken by Sydney Anglicans is a timely reminder of the need for courage. In our culture, speaking the truth increasingly comes at a cost. Some may lose their livelihoods, as HRLA clients like Dr Jillian Spencer or Matthew Squires have found.

And under these conversion practices laws, some may even be criminalised for their ministry.

But courage is necessary. When leaders like Archbishop Raffel and Bishop Stead make it clear that they will stand with those targeted, it emboldens the whole church to keep speaking truth with love and grace. Their position shows that unjust laws must not be meekly accepted. Instead, Christians must continue to pray, to care, and to speak faithfully — even in the face of government attempts to silence them.

At HRLA, we echo this call. Our mission is to defend Australians whose fundamental freedoms are under attack. Whether in the workplace, online, or in the church, we stand with those who refuse to compromise their faith.

Like the Sydney Anglicans, we believe the best way to honour God and preserve freedom is to keep speaking the truth boldly, even when unjust laws demand silence.

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