now church opens for gays in nigeria

By Joel Nana (BtM Intern)

October 24, 2006: House of Rainbow becomes the first church in Nigeria to accommodate all people irrespective of their sexual orientation.

Launched last month in Lagos, the church was founded by Reverend Jide Macaulay who started with his ministry long time ago in that country even before the advent of President Olusegun Obasanjo who early this year introduced same sex prohibition bill that outlaws and deplores homosexuality.

House of Rainbow is part of the Universal Fellowship of the Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC), which are churches first established in the 1960s and merely intended for homosexuals in the world.

“Our vision is to take care of and empower people who are likely to be ostracized and isolated in diverse communities, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in particular”, Macaulay attested.

Not only that Macaulay is a gay pastor, but also a Christian theologian, a poet, a self-published author and an educator in business. He had spent most of his teen years in Nigeria before leaving for London to do work as pastor.

“I know what it is like to be a gay person in the Nigerian conservative society, forced to live in a closet and even afraid to talk about your sexual orientation in Church”, he decried.

He says of the church; “The church is supposed to be the place where we appear true to each other and to God.”

Macaulay says the church reflects diversity, and it aims to implement inclusive language use as well as to encourage involvement of women.

He concluded that House of Rainbow seeks to remind Nigerian population that God is beyond human sexuality.