Journey UK is a British religious organization that promotes “Godās plan for sexual relations between a man and a woman within marriage.” They claim “God created us as male and female to complement each other” and that “marriage is exclusively the lifelong union between one male and one female.”
In 2026, Amnesty International UK listed the group as an anti-rights organization.
Background
Journey UK began as Living Waters UK, a ministry influenced by the international Living Waters movement founded in the United States during the 1980s by John and Paula Sandford. It was later adapted by leaders associated with Exodus International and other “ex-gay” evangelical ministries.
The UK ministry was formally established on May 16, 1996, when the Living Waters Discipleship and Healing Trust was created by trust deed. It was registered with the Charity Commission on June 13, 1996 (charity no. 1056150).
The ministry became part of the wider Journey Europe network, which linked similar ministries across a number of European countries.
The ministry was active in the early 2010s, when it offered classes and a manual called “Falling Forward.” A 2018 undercover investigation obtained a copy of the manual, which stated: “The homosexual neurosis is an example of an attempt to take-in the masculine traits of other men in order to complete oneās personal sense of deficiency. […] Many male survivors abused by other men fear homosexuality or, conversely, become homosexual.”
While the ministry’s roots predate its formal charitable incorporation, its present organizational structure dates to January 27, 2020, when Journey UK was registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (charity no. 1187579). On December 20, 2021, the registration was removed and funds were transferred to Journey UK.
Following a number of moves by the UK government to restrict conversion therapy, Journey UK stated that they do not offer counseling or therapy: “As a pastoral discipleship ministry we do not offer counselling or therapy. We do not encourage, practice or support conversion therapy. Our ministry is based on self-directed prayer. We would only advise people to seek counselling from counsellors whose professional code of conduct prohibits conversion therapy.”
People
- Michelle Louise Newstead: Trustee
- Trevor Paul Marr: Trustee
- Adeola Adekemi Spearman: Trustee
- Charles Thomas Clark: Trustee
- Louiz Nielsen: National Leader
- Paul Beadle: former national co-leader (with Nielsen)
References
Parsons, Ludovic (July 12, 2025). āConversion therapyā groups spend Ā£2M on lobbying and promoting practice in soaring costs since promise to ban the āabusiveā practice. QueerAF https://www.wearequeeraf.com/conversion-therapy-groups-spend-2m-on-lobbying-and-promoting-practice-in-soaring-costs-since-promise-to-ban-the-abusive-practice/
Brand, Paul (November 15, 2018). Charity Commission to review ‘gay conversion’ allegations following ITV News investigation. ITV https://www.itv.com/news/2018-11-15/charity-commission-to-review-gay-conversion-allegations-following-itv-news-investigation
Brand, Paul (November 13, 2018). ITV News undercover: The Christian charity that claims you can change your sexuality. ITV https://www.itv.com/news/2018-11-13/itv-news-undercover-the-christian-charity-that-claims-you-can-change-your-sexuality
Resources
Journey UK (journey-uk.org)
Living Waters Europe (livingwaterseu.com)
Journey Europe (journeyeurope.org) [archive]
UK Charity Commission (charitycommission.gov.uk)
- Journey UK: Charity number 1187579
- register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5135843