King's Arms Trust

The King's Arms Trust is an incorporated charitable company (registered charity number 1116359; company number 5899019) comprising the King's Arms Church, the King's Arms Project, and FP Impact.

History

The official website states that the Bedford-based Church "started in 1992". However, according to their official report, the King's Arms Project was founded in 1989 by Philippa Stroud, the Tory special adviser to the incumbent Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Iain Duncan Smith and co-founder of the Centre for Social Justice. The Church is associated with the evangelical organisation Newfrontiers and a member of the Evangelical Alliance.

In 1995, the King’s Arms was registered as an unincorporated charity The King’s Arms Trust (registered charity number 1044098).

In 2006, the King’s Arms Trust (Bedford.), a new incorporated charitable company, was formed (registered charity number 1116359; company number 5899019). The new trust became operational on the 1st January 2007. This comprises the King's Arms Church, the King's Arms Project, and FP Impact.

People

Founder

• Philippa Stroud Founder

Directors/Trustees of the King’s Arms Trust (Bedford) 2010

• Roydon Loveley Chairman and Elder
• Julian Adams
• Mark Adams
• Simon Holley Lead Elder
• Paul Johnson Elder
• Paul Stanyard

Other staff 2010

• Phil Wilthew Pastoral Team
• Rory Parkinson Sunday Oversight & Operations
• Steve Wilson Outreach (inc. Alpha)
• Philippa Wilson Events Co-ordinator
• Wendy Mann Training for Supernatural Ministry
• Becky Ross Innovation (Youth 13-18s) & RIOT (11-13's)
• Nicky Stanyard King's Kids
• Matt Peacock Students, Intergration Team and Welcome
• Mel Fletcher Building Project Manager
• Ali Green King’s Arms Project CEO
• Jan Loveley Healing Prayer
• Wendy Mann TSM (Training for Supernatural Ministry) Training Course
• Damion Miller Worship
• Mike Green Steward
• Jane Finch Admin

Volunteers

• Ed Vaizey Conservative MP Vaizey volunteered at the King's Arms Project in August 2006.

King's Arms Project

Founded by Philippa Stroud in 1989, the Project "is part of the social action work of the King’s Arms Church" whose ethos is to "Restore dignity and self-worth to the homeless & disadvantaged in a way which encourages responsibility and choice".

2006, Conservative MP Ed Vaizey volunteers at the Project

In August 2006, the Conservative MP Ed Vaizey volunteered at the King's Arms Project. Apparently blogging from his Blackberry, Vaizey writes:

the King's Arms Project, to give it its full title, is a nightshelter, hostel and onward support scheme run by a local church. I'm here at the suggestion of the Centre for Social Justice, to spend a week working, to try and gain a better understanding of the problems faced by the homeless, and by a charity working in this sector.

He described the staff as "all mainly young, in their early twenties, all are Christian but religion is not on display during the evening"; adding that "even the homeless think the country's gone to the dogs".

His diary on Conservative Home notes further details about the Project:

• Day One:

...The nightshelter caters for 18 residents a night, most of whom have had or have drug and alcohol problems. It's open from 7pm and residents must be out by 9am the next day. Residents sleep 4 to a room and each room is euphemistically named after a hotel - naturally the Ritz is my favourite.

The hostel has room for 14. Residents share a room with one other and stay for an average of 4 months. Some go back to the street, others go on to proper accommodation and a job. It takes three or four stays usually to make progress...

• Day Two:

...The evening starts at 7 when the residents start to arrive. They have to hand in mobile phones and drug paraphanalia. Dinner is served pretty much immediately. I've had long discussions on politics - even the homeless think the country's gone to the dogs. And I've tried to pick up on some of the stories of the lives I'm witnessing.

Dinner is followed by scrabble, chess videos. Some residents go straight to bed. Most are asleep before the midnight curfew, four to a room.

The staff work in two shifts. They are all mainly young, in their early twenties, all are Christian but religion is not on display during the evening...

• Day Three:

...With Ali, who does floating support, I've seen some interviews and heard about some of the success stories. Floating support is funded entirely privately and does what it says on the tin, giving continuous and tailored support as needed. It's through this process that people get moved to hostel to housing and, with luck, off their addictions. A lot of people have been helped, and there are many beginning to lead normal lives.

At the other end are those sleeping rough, not even in a nightshelter. I met one tonight, but was shown many more places where people bed down, from parks to car parks, and also where they shoot up. These people really can be completely forgotten. If they choose, they can be almost invisible, except to the occasional passing yob...

• Day Four:

...Of course, at times I felt frustrated. When you are peeling potatoes at 4 in the morning, you can’t help thinking occasionally, “why can’t these people get their act together!”. Perhaps that’s why I probably wouldn’t last long working for a homeless charity! Because the other side of the coin is the remarkable professionalism and patience of the people who work for the King’s Arms Project. Many are young, and they work for peanuts. They are motivated by their religious convictions. They – Zoe, Heather, Mike, Luke, Cherrie, Becky, Tim, Jez and others - are not working, but pursuing a vocation.

You cannot invent something like the King’s Arms Project by Whitehall diktat. It has to come from the grassroots. So the first policy lesson, if you like, is for Government to provide financial support, but as far as possible to leave well alone. Organisations like this need the space to do their work, and I suspect more “formal” organisations such as Government agencies would work a hell of a lot better if the individuals who work for them were given more freedom to pursue solutions they felt worked. This whole approach could be extended to benefits. We all know – and it is true – that people lose benefits if they get married (bonkers!) or if they do more than 16 hours of work a week. If we could find a way of transferring the benefits budget to local organisations, think how much more effective it could be. Creative solutions – such as allowing people to work and receive benefits for a short period – could have a dramatic impact.

One of the most effective aspects of KAP’s work is one-to-one support, run by the remarkable Ali Inwood. KAP receives no Government funding at all for this service, and have no supervision from any local or Government agency. This one-to-one support seems to me to be the key to moving forward in policy terms. One of the great difficulties surrounding the problem of homelessness is the number of organisations involved. For example, an ex-offender leaving prison will deal only with the Probation Service, and not with KAP or any other similar organisation. As a result, they miss out on services that may be able to offer them far more suitable support...

...The level of financial support obviously plays a crucial part in helping organisations like KAP. I do not honestly think that KAP could do more than it already does for the people it works with. I did not get the impression that there was a vital service they could provide if only they had more money. But what is needed is more money for salaries. Even with their motivation, staff turnover runs at about 25%, as workers seek higher paying jobs as they settle down...

Accusations of homophobia

In May 2010, The Observer published an article with the standfirst: "Conservative high-flyer Philippa Stroud founded a church that tried to 'cure' homosexuals by driving out their 'demons'". The authors quoted several individuals who claimed to have been subjected to "treatment" at the Project:

"T" said he moved to Bedford because he believed the church could help him stop having homosexual thoughts. "I was trying to convince myself that a change was possible but, at the same time, a part of me didn't believe it was possible," he said. "The church's approach was not that it was sinful to be homosexual but that it was sinful to act on it. The aim is to get a person to a position where they don't have these sinful emotions and thoughts."

"T" said it was only after he "took a break" from the church that his depression lifted. "It was the church's attitude towards my sexuality that was the issue," he recalled.

Also quoted was Angela Paterson, an administrator at the Bedford church, who said: "With hindsight, the thing that freaks me out was everybody praying that a demon would be cast out of me because I was gay. Anything – drugs, alcohol or homosexuality, they thought you had a demon in you."

"What Jesus said about... Expelling demons"

A document titled "What Jesus said about... Expelling demons" is available on the King's Arms website. It features the following:

Recognise demonic symptoms (Mark 9:16-18)

Mark 9:18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid.

(all of these symptoms can have other causes)

Minor symptoms:

Sin that we ‘can’t seem to break’

Repeated thoughts of fear/shame/anger/hatred/self pity/death/jealousy/adultery/….endless list!

Thoughts - ‘lies like flies’ that speaking out God’s word (renewing the mind) doesn’t shift

Major Symptoms:

Black outs, violent rages, self harm, suicide attempts

Life controlling addictions (stealing, drugs, alcohol, sex, porn, gambling)

Religious error and confusion

Mental instability (can also be chemical/emotional)

Never tell someone they have a demon. Offer to pray and see what happens ‘Father I ask for freedom now from any spiritual oppression’

It continues:

The 5 R’s – a framework for freedom from spiritual oppression

• RECOGNISE – the central issue. For example Fear, Rejection etc.

• REPENT & FORGIVE – anything you have done, anything done to you.

• RENOUNCE – living under this thing any more. It’s renouncing this lifestyle.

• REJECT – the demonic oppression. Command as Jesus did ‘leave in Jesus name’.

• REPLACE – ask God to fill with his love, his peace and whatever is opposite to the thing that’s gone (e.g. replace fear with faith,

rejection with acceptance). Claim the truth of God’s word.

Stroud's response

The Observer subsequently received a complaint from Stroud, summarised by the newspaper as follows:

Since publication, we have received a legal complaint from Philippa Stroud. She disputes the testimonies contained in the article and states that she has helped individuals of all sexual orientations to deal with a multitude of problems such as drug addiction, self-harming, alcoholism, eating disorders, and sexual abuse through prayer as well as offering practical help and advice. She also says that she has never founded a church, let alone a church that tried to 'cure' homosexuals. She has never prayed or advised any person to change his or her sexuality and has never countenanced any person for whom she has had responsibility attempting to question any person's sexual orientation or to re-orient them. In addition, the reference to demonic activity in her book "God's help for the poor' does not relate to sexual orientation but to those who have been involved in occult practices, including violence and sexual abuse. She adds that the New Frontiers Church network is based in the UK and has over 600 branches worldwide of which 220 are in the UK and no more than 30 are in the USA. It is not part of the US Evangelical Movement.

However, although Stroud claims never to have founded a church, in their 2007 report submitted to the Charity Commission, the King's Arms Project states that:

During 1998, the King’s Arms Church was able to send out three teams to establish new churches. The founders of the King’s Arms, David and Philippa Stroud, led one team to South Birmingham to establish a similar work there.

Similarly, the 2009 report notes that:

Throughout its history the King’s Arms has been caring for poor and disadvantaged people in Bedfordshire. The King’s Arms Project commenced work among Bedford’s street-homeless in 1989 when a Residential House located in Clarendon Street, Bedford was established. The Project has developed with additional houses and elements; all of which have been set up to cater for the needs of poor and disadvantaged people. Five new churches have been established in the UK, Africa and the USA by members of the King’s Arms Church:

• David and Philippa Stroud, the founders of the King’s Arms led a team to South Birmingham in 1998.
• Martin and Louise White led a team to North Birmingham in 1998.
• Matt and Philippa Hatch led a team to Leeds in 2002.
• Drew and Megan Land went to Durban, South Africa in 2003.
• Euan and Sarah Crane went to North Carolina in 2007.

In her statement, Stroud said:

I make no apology for being a committed Christian. However it is categorically untrue that I believe homosexuality to be an illness and I am deeply offended that The Observer has suggested otherwise... The idea that I am prejudiced against gay people is both false and insulting.

When the online magazine PinkNews.co.uk emphasised to Stroud's spokesperson that The Observer's prime claim was not that she believed homosexuality to be an illness, but rather that it seemed she believed homosexuality could be overcome through prayer and the removal of "demons", a spokeperson responded that: "We will not be adding to or subtracting to [sic] the statement."

Pink News journalist Jessica Green reports that John Rubinstein, of law firm Rubinstein Phillips, is representing Stroud. The firm contacted a number of media outlets following the accusations to remind them of their responsibilities under Section 106 of the Representation of the Peoples' Act, which states that it is illegal to publish a false statement of fact relating to character or conduct, unless it can be demonstrated that there were reasonable grounds to believe the statement to be true. While Stroud's response asserted that she was not homophobic, nor believed homosexuality to be an illness, John Rubinstein declined to comment on whether Stroud believes that homosexuality is caused by demonic possession, or that she was part of an organisation which followed this doctrine.

Conservative leader and Prime Minister David Cameron defended Stroud, stating on the BBC's Asian Network that "She believes in gay equality" and has made "a very clear statement to say she was completely misreported".

A dedicated Facebook group set up by Lib Dem councillor for Onslow, Chris Ward, with over 5100 members, called upon David Cameron to sack Stroud.

'First the B&B incident, then the Julian Lewis incident, now it emerges one of his candidates likes to pray the gay away. Cameron made a big noise about how he deselected a homophobic Tory candidate "within minutes" (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/04/28/cameron-took-action-on-homophobic-candidate-within-minutes/). Any sort of conversion therapy can cause serious damage to LGBT people who believe their sexuality is a mental affliction. If Cameron cares even the slightest about the LGBT community as he says he does, he must sack Philippa Stroud.'

FP Impact

Apparently "not for the faint hearted", FP Impact is a "Frontier Project" (part of Newfrontiers aimed at students. According to the official website:

FP is a sacrificial year given over to learning more about God, getting a passion for the nations and having your life turned upside down. We’ll give you the opportunity to travel overseas and see how the gospel is reaching other nations, participate in the growth of a local church and equip you in sound theology and leadership skills.

The training ostensibly provides:

• Sound theological and practical teaching from respected Newfrontiers leaders
• Accommodation and food provided during training weeks (if not living near the training bases) with the exception of Centre Parcs in January.
• Times of prayer and ministry for all students
• Opportunity for spiritual growth and development in many areas (we reserve the right to help you move out from your comfort zones!
• Support when needed, in ensuring that your project base is working for you
• A team of FP staff working together to provide care and support throughout your FP year

Contact, Resources, Notes

Contact

King's Arms Offices
King's House, 245 Ampthill Road
Bedford
Bedfordshire
United Kingdom
MK42 9AZ
Email: info AT kingsarms.org
Tel: 01234 306500

King's Arms Project
67 Gwyn Street
Bedford
Bedfordshire
United Kingdom
MK40 1HH
Email: project AT kingsarms.org
Tel: 01234 350900

Website: http://www.kingsarms.org

Resources

• Jamie Doward, Cal Flynn and Richard Rogers, Rising Tory star Philippa Stroud ran prayer sessions to 'cure' gay people, The Observer, 2 May 2010.
• The King's Arms, '15 healed on the streets of Bedford!', audio testimony of "physical healings" carried out by The King's Arms Project
• What Jesus said about... Expelling demons, publication provided by the King's Arms