Despite the Federal Government's
intolerance for Gay activities in Nigeria, Reverend Jide Macaulay, has
damned all consequences and reopened his gay church, House of Rainbow in
Lagos.
Its primary vision is to reach out to sexual minorities in Nigeria, UK, and around the world.
Rev
Rowland Jide Macaulay is a confirmed and ordained Pastor who founded
the House Of Rainbow Church in 2006. He openly held Sunday services in a
Lagos hotel hall decked out with rainbow flags until the public
revolted against the church.
He then fled to the UK after death threats.
Read Pastor Jide's views on homo-sexuality below:
"For me I have always been gay and I never became gay.
I
became aware of my same sex attraction whilst living in Nigeria at the
age of seven. Boys flirt with each other unknowing all the time and it
was at this stage that I was more aware of my emotional, physical,
mental and sexual attraction to boys.
I was 14 when I had my first
sex with a guy, it was filled with curiousity, passion, embarassment
and guilt as with with any heterosexual having sex for the first time.
By
this age I had become a youth leader in the church and had spent time
reading the bible including discovering chapters that "condemned"
homosexuality.
Imagine the furore of my life? Now I have to be
discrete, secretive and live a lie. When I look back at my life it never
stopped my same sex attractions.
Fast forward thirty years, I am
now fully confident that being gay is my natural being and I regretted
ever trying to be straight.
I regretted that I did not get the
education and appropriate spiritual development to be a gay man. I can
understand that and that is why I am determined that the short life I
may live in this world I trust God for the development of inclusive
Christian education to enable the freedom of the mind, body, soul and
spirit.
Recently, my father asked me to prove that homosexuality
is genetics. I just looked at him and pointed to myself, "ME" you made
me, you gave birth to a homosexual boy he was anxious to know more, so I
asked him to prove to me that God is real, not that I don't know but if
we were to play "doubting Thomas", lets lay all the cards out.
My
homosexuality is real, I am gay and I did not become gay, just like I
am black and I did not become black. This is a great way to move forward
in life and let the world know that they may hate us but God Adores Us.
House
Of Rainbow Fellowship is an inclusive Christian community, that
welcomes all people and does not discriminate against LGBTI people (of
faith or no faith).
I am proud that the Holy Spirit has led me to
start this group, (nearly five years). We are growing with passion and
relevance and it is my hope that we would be able to advance the
learning and inclusion of all people.
I love myself and it is my
daily prayer and hope that millions of LGBTI people around the world,
their friends and families will come to understand and love them."
