Michigan Bans "Conversion Therapy" for Minors

Dan Hitz is the Executive Director of Reconciliation Ministries of Michigan, Inc., a member-ministry of Restored Hope Network. He is a licensed professional counselor, an ordained minister, and an EMDR trained, certified clinical trauma professional. Dan began his journey out of homosexuality after surrendering his life to Jesus Christ in 1984.

Michigan is set to become the 22nd state to ban “conversion therapy” for minors when the law takes effect in late October, 2023. As the director of Reconciliation Ministries, I have had multiple people ask me how this law will affect the ministry. This article will look at the law and respond to the question of how it will affect the ministry.

House Bill 4616 prohibits “mental health professionals” from practicing “conversion therapy” with minors. You can read HB 4616 on the Michigan Legislature by clicking here.

House Bill 4617 defines the term “conversion therapy” and adds it to Michigan’s mental health code. You can read HB 4617 on the Michigan Legislature website by clicking here. It defines conversion therapy as “any practice or treatment by a mental health professional that seeks to change an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity, including, but not limited to, efforts to change behavior or gender expression or to reduce or eliminate sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward an individual of the same gender.” The definition of a “mental health professional” according to Michigan’s mental health code includes licensed therapists such as a licensed professional counselor, social worker, marriage and family therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, and registered nurse.

It is unfortunate that Michigan’s conversion therapy ban forbids licensed therapists from helping minors overcome unwanted same-sex attraction, and forbids licensed therapists from helping minors work toward embracing their biological gender. The law clearly states that mental health professionals are only allowed to help minors embrace same-sex attraction and/or embrace a transgender identity. This law applies even if the minor states that he or she does not want to embrace his or her LGBTQ feelings, and attributes them to trauma endured during childhood sexual abuse.

We have looked at the misleading nature of the term “conversion therapy” in past newsletter articles such as “The Equality Act and Cancel Culture”. The effectiveness of change allowing therapy has been explored in the articles “The Truth About Counseling” and “What Does Research Conclude About Counseling for Unwanted Same-Sex Attraction or Gender Dysphoria?” These articles and more are available on the Reconciliation Ministries website at www.recmin.org/newsletter-archives.

In response to the question of how this will affect the work we do at Reconciliation Ministries, we will continue to explore our legal options and stand fast on the Word of God. We uphold the belief that God ordains physical sexual expression to be practiced exclusively within the marriage covenant between one biologically born male and one biologically born female.

Through the years, the number of minors that we have worked with has been a small percentage of our participants. We have only worked with minors under the conditions that the parents fully explain the focus and values of the ministry before the minor comes to the first session. We have only met with teens who were freely willing to come in and talk with us. We maintained a respectful atmosphere and invited anyone we work with to disagree with us, ask questions, and make their own decisions. There have been teens who have agreed with our convictions and those who have not. Through it all, biblical seeds have been planted and mutual respect has been maintained.

Reconciliation Ministries will continue to work with adults who seek change allowing therapy to overcome unwanted LGBTQ feelings. We will continue to work with minors experiencing heterosexual struggles, including pornography addiction and recovery from sexual abuse. While the conversion therapy ban applies to “mental health professionals”, it does not apply to “biblical discipleship”. We will work within the parameters of the law to provide the best biblical care possible to anyone seeking to align their sexuality with their Christian faith. Please pray for us as we uphold the calling the Lord has given us.

© 2023 Reconciliation Ministries of Michigan, Inc.

Now is the time to stand for righteousness. You can make a difference!

Imaged used under license with www.shutterstock.com.

On the Reconciliation Ministries’ website and in our newsletters, you can read numerous testimonies of man and women delivered from the bondages of sexual addiction, unwanted same-sex attraction, and gender confusion. Many of these people went down those paths as a reaction to childhood sexual abuse, neglect, and physical and emotional abuse. Programs like Living Waters, pastoral care, and licensed therapy are just a few of the ways that men and women have overcome LGBTQ issues and embraced Biblical sexuality.

We desperately need your help. The future of ministries like Reconciliation Ministries that help men and women overcome unwanted same-sex attraction and gender confusion hangs in the balance. On Thursday, February 25th, the US House of Representatives voted 224 to 206 to pass the Equality Act. The fate of this bill in the Senate is unclear; however, President Biden has stated that he intends to sign the act into law within the first 100 days of his presidency. The Equality Act is one of the biggest threats to religious freedom that our country has ever faced.

Here are just a few of the disastrous effects of The Equality Act:

• It would remove protections offered to faith-based organizations under The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993.

• Faith-based organizations will be obligated to accept and follow federal LGBTQ guidelines or face severe penalties.

• The Equality Act will remove freedom of conscience protection from medical practitioners forcing them to perform abortions and provide gender affirming treatments regardless of their convictions and religious doctrine.

• The law identifies any form of support to help anyone overcome unwanted same-sex attraction or gender confusion and embrace biblical sexuality as discrimination.

• The bill would mandate licensed professional therapists and pastoral caregivers to affirm LGBTQ attractions regardless of their religious convictions and the desires of their clients.

You can find more information in the links at the end of this article.

You can make a difference. Contact your US Senators today and urge them not to sponsor or support the Equality Act.

Please be respectful and courteous in your communications with them. Affirm the value and dignity of all people regardless of their beliefs. This includes people within the LGBTQ community as well as people within communities of faith. Let them know if you or someone you love has been helped to overcome homosexuality and/or gender confusion through pastoral care, licensed therapy, and/or support groups. Urge them to keep that option available for others. Keep your communications brief and to the point. You can find your US Senators at https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm.

Thank you for helping to keep the freedom of religion alive in the United States. This is an important time in our nation’s history, and you can make a difference.

Here is more information about The Equality Act:

The House version of The Equality Act
http://lc.org/PDFs/Attachments2PRsLAs/2019/031819EqualityActHR5.pdf

A Call to Action on the Equality Act – Doug Clay, General Superintendent Assemblies of God, USA
https://news.ag.org/en/news/a-call-to-action-on-the-equality-act?fbclid=IwAR2LzpSwrurgIvGj0lkpTCRcC2Ej6tkUlukkMe9a3yyiYRQAO-mJyC3eV3o  

A Dangerous Attack on Religious Freedom and Free Speech – Liberty Counsel
https://www.lcaction.org/HR5  

The FAQS: What You Should Know about the Pro-LGBTQ Equality Act – Gospel Coalition
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-faqs-what-you-should-know-about-the-pro-lgbtq-equality-act/

Thank you for speaking out for the religious freedom of our country. Your voice matters!

In Christ,

Dan Hitz and your friends at Reconciliation Ministries of Michigan, Inc.

Mercy

Photo credit: David Watkis via www.unsplash.com.

“Who gave mercy my address, or told it how to get to my room? Didn’t it know a sinner lived in it? On the way down the hall, shouldn’t the smell of idols kept its feet from moving any closer? Then I remembered the one verse of the Bible that I knew by heart, ‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.’ The same Bible that condemned me, held in it the promises that could save me. I just had to believe it.” – Jackie Hill Perry in Gay Girl, Good God.

Lives Are Being Changed

“Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
1 Corinthians 6:11 NLT 

“At forty-five years old, I was overwhelmed with the secret pain I carried from my childhood sexual abuse, physical abuse and prostitution. Words cannot express the gifts of healing I have received from Living Waters. These faithful servants of Christ helped me out of my dark hiding place and into the light of His mercy and truth.”

“I came to LW full of shame from same-sex attraction struggles as well as the pain of rejection from my father growing up. I lived through a filter of pain I couldn’t get rid of, and blamed myself for it. The Lord began to bring healing as I opened up in the group ministry and took away the sting and the shame of that pain. Living Waters brought freedom beyond what I thought possible.”

“I came to Living Waters filled with guilt and shame because of my struggles with heterosexual pornography addiction. The healing process revealed to me the sources of the pain and the triggers of my addiction. I found the tools to help defuse these triggers before the addiction cycle kicks in full. The Lord still works with me on these things to this day.  I now know that the Lord's love can heal the wounds of my past with His love.”

Dear Friends,

Perhaps you can relate to these profound testimonies of recovery and transformation. Maybe you are still waiting for that day when you, or someone you love, can speak such words of hope and freedom. Reconciliation Ministries exist to walk with people who are broken and bound by sin, and help them find healing through the wonderful power of Jesus Christ. His birth, His sacrificial death on the cross, and His resurrection, provides all that we need to overcome the worst forms of abuse, trauma, and sexual sin.

You can make a difference in the lives of hurting people. Your prayers help break the chains of addiction and heal the wounds of abuse. Your financial contributions reach out to those in need through the Living Waters program, professional counseling, and support groups.  You can encourage, educate and equip by sponsoring seminars and newsletters. You can even reach people on the other side of the world by sponsoring missions trips – healing leaders and raising up others to carry the message of redemption and transformation through Christ.

Maybe you don’t feel like you can make an eternal difference in anyone’s life. I am amazed at the people that the Lord used in Scripture. The very lineage of Christ is full of people like Rahab the prostitute (Matthew 1:5), and Judah and Tamar who conceived a child in sin (Matthew 1:3). From the very beginning of Jesus’ life, the Father showed His love to those whom others cast away. His birth was announced to a group of shepherds who were simply doing their job of taking care of a bunch of sheep somewhere in a field in the middle of the night. Those shepherds had the privilege of hearing the Heavenly choir of angels announce the Savior’s birth and being among the first visitors to see Jesus in the manger. Jesus showed his mercy to the woman at the well (John 4); a woman who had five husbands and was currently living with another guy she wasn’t even married to. He spoke into her heart and showed her how to find what she was really looking for. He showed great mercy to the woman caught in adultery and offered her another way to live when He said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin” (John 8:11). Even in his death and resurrection, Jesus revealed Himself first to Mary Magdalene, “out of whom He had cast seven demons” (Mark 16:9). Jesus loves the broken.

These beautiful Scriptures are just a few of the many examples of Jesus’ love for those in need. No one is beyond His love and care. No one is beyond his power to transform lives. If you or someone you love is trapped by sin and pain, reach out for help as we celebrate the birth of our Savior. Call Reconciliation Ministries at 586.739.5114 and let us walk with you to Jesus.

You CAN make an eternal difference in the lives of others through your prayers. Contact us at info@recmin.org and join our intercessors’ list. Any financial gift of any size can change someone’s life. All donations are tax-deductible and can be made through the form included in this newsletter, or securely online by clicking here. Make a difference in the lives of those who are hurting today.

In Christ,

Dan Hitz and your friends at Reconciliation Ministries of Michigan, Inc.

P.S. Here are a few more testimonies. All were used by permission.

“I came to Living Waters after a period of personal crisis— I knew that God loves and forgives me, but I was still deeply confused about the sources of my addictions. Hearing the testimonies of others, reading and working through the lesson plans, and sharing in group discussions has freed me from much darkness that I did not even realize remained.” 

“Growing up I was expected to achieve and perform to be acceptable. Only rarely was what I did enough by my parents' shifting standards. During Living Waters I learned that I am of value just because I am; that God loves me expecting nothing. He transformed my mind through the loving and prayerful leaders at Living Waters who cheered me on in my progress toward learning who I am in Christ and being able to accept myself as being worthy of love.”

“I came to Reconciliation Ministries full of self-hatred and condemnation because of my struggle with same-sex attraction. In the process of healing, the Lord touched the roots of my SSA and also brought healing from childhood sexual abuse. I now know who I really am in Christ and have a deep sense of purpose.”

“When I first came to Living Waters Ministry I felt stuck in an abyss of pain that I couldn't seem to escape from no matter how hard I tried. Living Waters helped me discover the root cause; wounds and breaches from my past that were ruling my present. Through the help of loving leaders, I was finally able to name specific abuses and the way these violations impacted my life. As they led me to release my soul wounds into the Cross, and exchange lies for God's truth, I began to walk in peace and freedom. My past abuse was no longer was an unwelcomed guest in my present life!”

Frequently Asked Questions About Living Waters

Living Waters is a Christ-centered discipleship and ministry program for men and women seeking healing in areas of sexual and relational brokenness including pornography addiction, codependency, sexual addiction, homosexuality, sexual ambivalence, childhood sexual abuse, transgender issues, and difficulty in establishing and sustaining healthy relationships.  Our next program is starting soon. 

Frequently asked questions about Living Waters…

I don’t struggle with same-sex attraction. Is Living Waters still for me? Yes! Everyone in the body of Christ can benefit from Living Waters. Living Waters is for a wide variety of sexual sin and relationship struggles. We hear many testimonies from men and women who have struggled with heterosexual issues such as pornography addiction, codependency, and promiscuity; who have found freedom through the program. Others have found freedom from struggles such as the effects of abuse, food addiction and self-hatred.

Is Living Waters group therapy? Living Waters is a peer ministry, discipleship program and not professional therapy. Our leaders have all overcome their own battles with sexual and relational brokenness and are free to share their journeys with the participants in a way that professional therapists do not. This helps us walk towards Jesus together in a way that personalizes our recovery and brings deep freedom.

What is the difference between Living Waters and Celebrate Recovery? Celebrate Recovery is a wonderful 12-step program that has helped many men and women begin their recovery journey. Many of our participants have told us how Living Waters has deepened the healing they have received in Celebrate Recovery. Living Waters small groups are interactive and the teachings go much deeper on the root issues of our sexual and relationship struggles through Biblical, in-depth studies of issues like the mother and father wound, the effects of abuse, the cross and confession, forgiveness, and an examination of God’s design for our genders. It helps us better understand who we are in Christ and live according to our God given calling in our local church and the greater body of Christ.

Why is Living Waters 24 weeks long? Living Waters is established as a safe place with enough time set aside to work on some very difficult, and sometimes painful, life issues. We know from our own experience that this time commitment is a necessary blessing that helps to bring many victories.

Why does Living Waters have a $495 tuition rate? Living Waters cost less than $21 per week. This is considerably less than counseling and therapy co-pays, and substantially less than many of us have spent on our addictions. We have found that people who make a financial investment in their recovery are far more committed to their recovery when things get tough. The tuition also helps filter out people who aren’t serious about their recovery or who have dishonorable intentions. Living Waters graduates will tell you that the benefits have far outweighed the costs.

Will I be completely “fixed” at the end of the 24 weeks? Recovery and transformation into the fullness of Christ is a life-long journey. No program of any length can bring the complete restoration that Jesus Christ desires to give. Our primary goal for each participant is that they gain a deeper understanding of who they are in Christ. This leads to deeper healing of the root issues of their struggle, and empowers them to live a holy life. Participants will also learn tools to help them in their recovery and deepen their connection to the Body of Christ.

How long has Reconciliation Ministries been offering Living Waters? Reconciliation Ministries has been partnering with faith communities to help men, women, and adolescents overcome sexual and relational brokenness since 1984. We have been offering the Living Waters program since 1995.

If you or someone you love is struggling with sexual or relational difficulties, there is hope and healing through the power of Jesus Christ.  Call us and ask about attending the next Living Waters program. (586) 739-5114

© Reconciliation Ministries 2016.  This article may be reproduced and distributed as long as credit is given and no fee is charged.