A secret church in Kenya serves LGBTQ people. For ten years, they moved from place to place. Bad things happened at each spot. People broke their first home. Police arrested them in a park. A building said no. Neighbors threw stones.
The church finally found a safe place. People must pass guards to enter. About 100 people come to pray. They cry when the pastor speaks. He tells them God loves them, even if others push them away.
Many church members ran from nearby countries where they faced death threats. Here, they can pray and be themselves.
African countries have turned against gay people lately. Uganda made strict laws in March 2023. Rwanda saw attacks. Tanzania arrested people.
Kenya seems kinder than other places. The police rarely bother gay people. But things got harder after William Ruto became president in 2022. He leads as an evangelical Christian.
Kenya's top court said gay groups can register. Ruto said he would follow the law but called being gay wrong. He claimed it goes against what people believe.
The church keeps growing despite problems. Private gifts help pay the bills. Between 50 and 200 people attend. It stands alone as Kenya's only LGBTQ church.
Most people there stay quiet. They fear the government might hurt them, and some worry their families will force them to get "fixed."
The pastor hides his name. People threaten him online and at work.
One member, Atwine Kyeyune, almost died last year. People in Uganda dragged her from home. They beat her and wanted to burn her. Police saved her life. Kyeyune, a transgender woman, took a bus to Kenya at night. A friend brought her to church. She felt free there for the first time.
Caroline Omolo helped start the church over ten years ago. Back then, young Kenyans met to share stories. They felt pushed out of other churches.
Bishop Joseph Tolton from California helped them grow. He fights for gay rights in Africa. The group held their first real church service in 2013.
Uganda made gay acts illegal in 2014. Many people ran to Kenya. The church helped them.
Kasaali Brian Sseviiri came from Uganda. She dances in church but feels scared outside. She lives in a shelter with Kyeyune.
They sing and dance every Sunday. They read from the Bible and other holy books. The pastor finds parts that welcome gay and transgender people.
Life stays hard. Kenya takes in gay people who need safety. But new laws might let anyone arrest people they think are gay.
Some groups want to "fix" gay people. The pastor knows this pain. His old church hurt him when he was 17. They made him say he had changed.
Those memories still hurt. He left that church. Later, he found this new one, which he led with love.
The church finally found a safe place. People must pass guards to enter. About 100 people come to pray. They cry when the pastor speaks. He tells them God loves them, even if others push them away.
Many church members ran from nearby countries where they faced death threats. Here, they can pray and be themselves.
African countries have turned against gay people lately. Uganda made strict laws in March 2023. Rwanda saw attacks. Tanzania arrested people.
Kenya seems kinder than other places. The police rarely bother gay people. But things got harder after William Ruto became president in 2022. He leads as an evangelical Christian.
Kenya's top court said gay groups can register. Ruto said he would follow the law but called being gay wrong. He claimed it goes against what people believe.
The church keeps growing despite problems. Private gifts help pay the bills. Between 50 and 200 people attend. It stands alone as Kenya's only LGBTQ church.
Most people there stay quiet. They fear the government might hurt them, and some worry their families will force them to get "fixed."
The pastor hides his name. People threaten him online and at work.
One member, Atwine Kyeyune, almost died last year. People in Uganda dragged her from home. They beat her and wanted to burn her. Police saved her life. Kyeyune, a transgender woman, took a bus to Kenya at night. A friend brought her to church. She felt free there for the first time.
Caroline Omolo helped start the church over ten years ago. Back then, young Kenyans met to share stories. They felt pushed out of other churches.
Bishop Joseph Tolton from California helped them grow. He fights for gay rights in Africa. The group held their first real church service in 2013.
Uganda made gay acts illegal in 2014. Many people ran to Kenya. The church helped them.
Kasaali Brian Sseviiri came from Uganda. She dances in church but feels scared outside. She lives in a shelter with Kyeyune.
They sing and dance every Sunday. They read from the Bible and other holy books. The pastor finds parts that welcome gay and transgender people.
Life stays hard. Kenya takes in gay people who need safety. But new laws might let anyone arrest people they think are gay.
Some groups want to "fix" gay people. The pastor knows this pain. His old church hurt him when he was 17. They made him say he had changed.
Those memories still hurt. He left that church. Later, he found this new one, which he led with love.
