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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