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Jide Macaulay Reverend Rowland Jide Macaulay was born in London, UK, as the second son of Professor Kunle Macaulay, Director of Studies at United Bible University in Nigeria. He holds a degree Law and a Masters in Theology. Rev. Rowland Jide Macaulay was ordained clergy in 1998, now serving with the Metropolitan Community Church as the pastor of a new church, which began September 2006 in Lagos, Nigeria, called House of Rainbow MCC. His father was a supporter of draconian laws to penalise Nigerian gays and lesbians discussed in 2007.Rev. Jide Macaulay has declared that he likes to be more visible in the ministry as an African gay man. He was named Man of the Year at the Black Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Awards held in London in 2007. With 17.5 million members, Nigeria is the second-largest Anglican province in the world and the number of regular churchgoers is far higher and growing. The leader of the church in Nigeria, Archbishop Peter Akinola, is one of those leading the charge against gay people being ordained as priests or the blessing of gay relationships. The Anglican Bishop of Uyo, Rt. Rev. Isaac Orama, has strongly condemned the activities of homosexuals and lesbians and qualified them as inhuman. “Those who practice them are insane, satanic and are not fit to live because they are rebels to God’s purpose for man.” Nigerian law states that anyone who has “carnal knowledge of any person against order of nature or permits a male to have carnal knowledge of him” can be imprisoned for 14 years. In 2007 the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill was debated in the Nigerian Parliament but did not proceed. This bill law called for imprisonment for any person who “goes through the ceremony of marriage with a person of the same sex”, anyone who helps them and any gay clubs or organisations. |