A gay man has secured a five-figure payment from a Sheffield church which “exorcised” him in 2014 in an attempt to rid him of homosexuality.
Matthew Drapper, 37, received the settlement from St Thomas Philadelphia, a joint Anglican-Baptist congregation, in what is believed to be the first payout of its kind for harm caused by conversion practices.
The landmark case follows an investigation by children’s charity Barnardo’s, commissioned by the Diocese of Sheffield, which substantiated Drapper’s claims about the “prayer session” he experienced while volunteering at the church.
During the incident, a couple responsible for praying for congregation members told him he had come under “demonic possession” because of “sexual impurity”.
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Drapper’s payout is thought to be the first of its kind for harm caused by conversion practices
The husband and wife claimed they could see “demons leaving his body” during the ritual.
“Looking back, it seems like something out of a horror movie – for someone to be standing over you saying they can see the demons leaving your body is quite terrifying,” Drapper told The Times.
“But when you are deeply tied into the church, as I was at that time, it is easy to believe anything they tell you.”
The experience left Drapper feeling “empty” and contemplating suicide. He left the church in 2016, saying he had “lost my Christian faith because of this”.
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The 37-year-old received the five-figure sum from St Thomas Philadelphia in Sheffield
When he lodged a formal complaint in 2019, the church claimed there was “no evidence to substantiate” his allegations.
However, the 2021 Barnardo’s investigation concluded it was a “supported fact” that he underwent a prayer session, which was “in our view a form of exorcism”.
The review found: “From the evidence available to us it is our view that the session took place as described by [Drapper] and prayers were administered with the intention of changing his sexual identity.”
Following the Barnardo’s report, Drapper pursued legal action against the church, resulting in the out-of-court settlement.
Richard Scorer, Drapper’s lawyer, said: “As far as I am aware this is the first ever payment of damages in respect of harm caused by conversion or exorcism practices.
“It demonstrates that churches which engage in these abhorrent homophobic practices may face legal claims and damages awards, and I hope it will encourage churches to ban such practices entirely.”
Drapper noted that while such practices might seem outdated, they have been “revived in recent decades and is often referred to as ‘power healing’.”
He added: “I know around 20 people who have been through it but I suspected there are many, many more.”