Inside Kenya secret church wey dey welcome gay pastors and LGBT worshippers

One church for Kenya don survive in secret for di past 10 years. Dem no dey publicise dia services for dis very religious kontri because dem dey welcome gay worshippers.

"Di first time I bin enta di church I cry," John, one pastor wey dem bin first ordain for one mainstream church, tell BBC.

E leave im parish because church leaders tell am say im sexuality dey sinful and e gatz remain celibate.

"I never imagine for my life as priest, say I go dey for one space where I go tok three words pipo go think say dey conflicting. I be black, I be gay, I be priest."

E find out about di underground church, where e dey preach now, on social media - though most pipo dey find dia way go there through word of mouth. Like all di pipo dem interview for di church, dem don change im name to protect im identity.

Dia members dey very careful too about sharing details of dia gatherings – dem dey carefully select those wey wish to join before dem invite dem come di church to make sure say no be trap.

Di understanding wit all congregants na say security and safety dey important.

Gay sex dey illegal for Kenya, a socially conservative society, although dis year di Supreme Court bin overturn one ban on gay and lesbian organisations say dem fit register as non-governmental organisations.

Nonetheless dis church no go dey tempted to register, given di increase in anti-LGBT sentiment - and one recent proposal by one MP to toughen anti-gay legislation.

Pauline one open non-binary lesbian, wey dey use "dey" and "dey" as personal pronouns, and e be one of di church founders. Initially di thing just be like few friends dey come together to give each oda support.

"Wen dem remove you from a space [church], urge go dey to know if dem don excommunicate oda pipo," Pauline tok.

"We want meet oda queer Christians wey affirm themselves."

A feeling of alienation bin dominate Pauline life, especially since dia father died of HIV/Aids wen dem be 12.

"Afta my papa die, pipo start to dey treat us differently. Dem think say all of us get HIV. Dem go serve my mama for different cups and plates and dem no allow us inside some space again. Church na one of di places wey we no fit go because pipo believe say my mama dirty”, Pauline tok.

Wit plenty questions on top dia lifestyles, Pauline and dia friends begin meet on Sundays to watch sermons on YouTube, dem also dey reach out to oda LGBT Kenyans too.

E happun at di time wey anti-gay mata dey grow for East Africa. Neighbouring Uganda don begin debate di introduction of one new draconian anti-homosexuality law – wey don since further tighten LGBTQ for di kontri.

Dem no imagine say 10 years afta, dia little gathering go grow to include more dan 200 members.

Dem force most of dem to comot dia previous places of worship.

For Regina, e follow one dramatic confrontation wit anoda fellow volunteer – she bin dey part of one team wey dey organise events for her church.

Di team bin give her ultimatum wen di volunteer discover say she get girlfriend: her or them.

"E be like betrayal. I bin mentor some of dem and now, I no fit be part of dem any more," she tok.

Regina chose her girlfriend. One decade later, she dey wish to reconnect wit her Christian faith and a community, her journey lead her to di queer-affirming church.

"E get time wey I feel like say I no get access to God. All I done ever hear na say I be sinner. If prayer na way of talking to God, how then I go fit pray? Coming back into a community of faith don allow me let go of past hurt," she tok.

Di church don face plenty attacks

Yet e no dey always easy for di congregation, wey don face plenty attacks - for instance wen one landlord or those for di surrounding community no dey happy say dem be LGBT worshippers.

Dem don lock dem out of premises even though dem pay rent, dem don raid dia compound, dia members dey attacked and police don ask dem for bribes before dem fit give dem "protection", or threatened to beat and arrest dem.

Dem don change locations nine times for dia 10 years of existence, partly to keep dia location a secret.

One of di hardest ropes to jump na how to help members reconnect wit dia faith.

Di church, for instance, get dia own version of di Apostles' Creed, wey di congregation dey recite during service, e dey usually start wit di words: "I believe in God, di Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth." E go on to detail di tenets of dia faith.

"All of us love di normal creed, but e get some things wey dey miss," Pauline tok.

"E no recognize women and as queer children, we also gatz put ourselves for die creed. We see God di father as well as di mother. E affirm everyone."

Di first line of dia creed read: "We believe in one God, our creator, di source of our being as queer and beloved children."

Di church schedule also dey flexible, as some worshippers no dey open about dia sexuality to family and friends, so dem go attend mainstream churches before join dia service later.

"When we begin, everybody bin dey insecure and silent about dia traumas," Pauline tok.

Dis make us start "Chat and Chew", one discussion forum wey dey allow worshippers unburden themselves on how dem dey navigate life as LGBT Kenyans.

But as life for Kenya dey become more openly homophobic, Pauline tok say some members don consider to go back di closet for dia safety - though most want make di church continue.

Dem don change all di names to protect dia identities.