"We Don't Want To Lie To God About Who We Are" - Gay Pastor Relocate To UK

Reverend Rowland who was running a gay Church
underground in Lagos, Nigeria, relocated to the UK and
speaks on the new anti-gay law.

The initial reaction about his exposure was that such a Church
could not exist within Nigeria as such things are common in
abroad. But an uproar in the Anglican communion in Europe
on gay bishops brought up the case of Reverend Rowland, a
Nigerian who was residing in Lagos.

He was also operating his gay Church in Lagos. In his plot
145 flat 1, Jakande Estate, Isolo, Lagos, where Rev. Rowland
Olajide Macaulay, the gay Pastor lived, the apartment was
locked. It was learnt that the Reverend left his house on
Saturday, September 13, immediately after a national
newspaper carried the story of his homosexual Church and
ever since, he had not been seen.

According to his neighbours, the Sunday service could not
hold both at the Jakande Estate branch and the Ojodu
headquarters of House of Rainbow Ministries after that
publication.

Right now, Rev. Rowland has relocated abroad where he is
presently running his gay Church, "House Of Rainbow
Fellowship". According to the gay Pastor, "any negative effect
on the anti-gay bill will have detrimental effect on the work
and mission of House Of Rainbow in Nigeria. The lives of
LGBTI people and their friends, families and allies will be
further frustrated with fear and prejudice. We need to pray
and stand up against injustice."

He continued:

"My Church is a voice of the younger generation of citizens,
activists, and diaspora, and our collective belief in a more
progressive Nigeria. They are afraid of our growing influence
as we gather allies not just from the West, but from people
that are not afraid but powerful and resilient. Right now, we
are spreading their tentacles to every village, town and city
around the world. The Church is also calling on faithful and
dedicated local leaders who believe in homosexuality and
lesbianism. Ten House Of Rainbow Fellowship local leaders
are in Ghana, Nigeria, UK, Burundi, and Lesotho. Religion is
a backbone to life in Nigeria, so, we all want to go to Church.
But we don't want to lie to God about who we are."

Macaulay first set up House of Rainbow in 2006 and openly
held Sunday services in a Lagos hotel hall decorated in
rainbow colours. A public backlash culminated in members
being beaten as they left the Church. Macaulay fled to the UK
after receiving death threats.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International and gay rights activists and
groups have also condemned the law, calling it discriminatory
and incompatible with international human rights laws to
which Nigeria is a signatory.

Clashes and discussions over the new law still continue in the
country.

Via: Vanguard