It’s a time of change for our friends over at True Freedom Trust. After many years of faithfully serving and leading the charity, Stuart Parker is moving on from his role as Director. We’re so grateful to Stuart for all he has done to serve the Church through his leadership of TFT and wish him all the best as he turns his focus to other areas of ministry.

We’re also really excited to see Nat Johnson take on the role of Director at True Freedom Trust, and we thought we’d grab a few minutes with her to get to know her and hear about her hopes for TFT going forward.

Nat, tell us a bit about yourself and your story of faith and sexuality.

If you had told me 20 (or even 10) years ago that one day I’d be the Director of True Freedom Trust, I wouldn’t have believed you. I look back and marvel at what God has done in my life. I was painfully shy as a teenager – so anxious that I couldn’t speak in some social situations. In my 20s, I remember shaking with fear as I told a few trusted friends about my sexuality. There were long, painful silences as I fought to get the words out. To go from that to becoming the public face of a ministry like TFT feels nothing short of miraculous.

Jesus wasn’t part of my life growing up. Things changed when I met some Christians at university. There was something about the way they lived that was deeply attractive. As I got to know them, I saw that their faith had an impact on their everyday lives. I recognised that, far from being boring, irrelevant and untrue, walking with Jesus was the offer of a lifetime. I grabbed it with both hands.

I remember reading a book on common objections to Christianity when I was at university. There was a chapter on homosexuality, and it was a sort of ‘Huh?’ moment for me. I am grateful that in God’s kindness I became a Christian first. I know people who have come out of gay relationships to follow Jesus, and I can see that it is harder that way (although still do-able). There have been a couple of periods where I have wrestled with whether to keep walking with Jesus. Clearly, I have decided that it is worth it.

How would you describe True Freedom Trust to someone who isn’t aware of the charity?

True Freedom Trust exists to help Christians who experience same-sex attraction and/or struggles with gender identity to thrive in their faith and to keep walking with Jesus.

True Freedom Trust exists to help Christians who experience same-sex attraction and/or struggles with gender identity to thrive in their faith and to keep walking with Jesus. We’ve been working in the area of sexuality for nearly 50 years; our work in the area of gender is more recent. We also offer support to spouses, friends, family, and church leaders. 

We do this by:

• Providing pastoral support in one-to-one conversations and through support groups.
• Running events – these provide an opportunity to receive biblical teaching and to connect with others who have lived experience of seeking to live for Jesus in this area.
• Providing resources, including a quarterly magazine and occasional podcasts.
• Speaking at other people’s events.

TFT is a member of the Evangelical Alliance, and we hold to their statement of faith. You can find out more about our beliefs around sexuality and gender on our website.

What are your hopes for TFT going forward?

I long to see lots of Christians who experience same-sex attraction or struggles with gender identity hearing Jesus say to them, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant’.

My hope is that we can get our name out there to more churches, Bible colleges, and individual Christians, so that those who need us know that we are here, and so that all Christians who experience same-sex attraction feel well-supported by their church. 

I was at university when I first confided in someone about my sexuality. I was 35 when I joined TFT. That’s a long gap. TFT has been a lifeline for me, and I wish that I’d heard about it years earlier. I would love it if TFT were so well-known within Christian circles that others were told about TFT the first time they come out to another Christian.

How can we best be praying for you and for TFT?

Please pray for wisdom as we:

• Set the vision and strategy for the next period. We are a small charity with a small staff team, and we want to make sure that we are directing our time, energies and resources in the best way possible.
• Seek to love people well. It isn’t always straightforward to work out what loving someone well looks like in the messiness of life. The stakes are high, and we want to get it right.
• Talk about the ministry – knowing how to present it clearly in a way that helps each particular audience to understand what we are about and what we do.

How can people find out more and get involved?

Check out our website: truefreedomtrust.co.uk

There is more information about what we do, and a form to invite a speaker or request support.