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."
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