Rev. Jide Macaulay

Reverend Jide Macaulay was born in November 1965, in London to Nigerian parents and raised in Nigeria, where faith, family, and community played deeply formative roles in his early life. His father, the Reverend Professor August Olakunle Macaulay, was a theologian and founder of United Bible University. Growing up in a religious household, Jide was immersed in prayer, worship, and the study of scripture from an early age. The church was not just a place of worship but a center of leadership, learning, and community, a foundation that would later inspire his vocation.

Yet even as a child, Jide sensed that he was different. His sensitivity, artistic spirit, and self-awareness of his sexuality stood in quiet contrast to societal expectations. Living in the tension between his authentic self and rigid cultural norms helped him develop empathy, resilience, and a profound conviction that every person deserves to be seen and loved as they are.

Macaulay earned a law degree from Thames Valley University (UK) before pursuing theological studies. He later completed an M.A. in Practical Theology at United Bible University, a postgraduate certificate in Pastoral Theology from Anglia Ruskin University, and trained at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California. He was ordained as a Christian minister by his father in 1988, an experience he describes as a profound honor and source of spiritual affirmation and was later ordained as an Anglican priest.

His path to ministry was deeply influenced by both his father’s example and his own experience of exclusion. As a gay man, Jide faced rejection from religious institutions that had once nurtured his faith. That painful period of what he calls “holy dislocation” being cast out from both church and culture became transformative. In the midst of that wilderness, he encountered God anew, not as a distant judge, but as a loving presence walking beside him. That revelation reshaped his theology into one rooted in authenticity, courage, and justice.

Through these experiences, Macaulay came to see his calling as a reconciliation between faith and sexuality, a ministry of healing for those wounded by spiritual violence. He has credited mentors such as Reverend Elder Troy D. Perry, founder of Metropolitan Community Churches, and Bishop Yvette Flunder, founder of The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries, with helping deepen his understanding of inclusive and queer theology.

In 2006, Rev. Macaulay founded House of Rainbow in Lagos, Nigeria, a groundbreaking fellowship that began as a small community and grew into an international movement of inclusion and faith. House of Rainbow provides a spiritual home for LGBTQ+ Christians seeking hope, belonging, and affirmation, offering worship, counseling, leadership development, and advocacy. Its mission embodies Reverend Macaulay’s message that “GAY means God Adores You.”

Through House of Rainbow and his academic work, Reverend Macaulay has sought to bridge faith and justice. As a Black gay theologian, he works at the intersection of faith, race, sexuality, and liberation challenging exclusionary theologies and creating spaces where people can encounter God without shame or fear. His theological practice insists that theology must not only inform minds but transform lives.

Macaulay’s influence extends beyond the pulpit. He has mentored emerging leaders across Africa and the diaspora, taught courses on theology and human rights, and represented faith-based perspectives in global dialogues through organizations such as UNAIDS and other interfaith coalitions. He has previously served as Trustee of the Kaleidoscope Trust UK, Chair at One Voice Network, and Chaplain at Mildmay Hospital. He is also the author of Pocket Devotion for LGBT Christians and has received multiple community recognitions, including the Black LGBT Community Award, NAZ MSM Award, and distinction at the British LGBT Awards.

Rev. Macaulay’s ministry and scholarship share a common thread: a vision of the church as an inclusive, liberating body that mirrors the expansive love of God.

• For the Church of Nigeria, he has spoken out against discrimination toward gay clergy and laypeople, urging the church to engage in open, evidence-based dialogue and academic research on human sexuality rather than punitive measures.
• For the Church of England, he continues to advocate for an affirming and welcoming environment, envisioning a church that provides space for queer voices to flourish and set a global example of inclusive leadership.

Macaulay describes his work as standing at “the crossroads of theology and activism.” Through the integration of African spirituality, Christian theology, and queer liberation, he aims to help reimagine what it means to be the body of Christ, one that truly welcomes all. His lifelong commitment to faith and inclusion continues to shape international conversations on justice, equality, and the future of the church.

Reverend Jide Macaulay’s life and ministry demonstrate that belonging to both Christian and LGBTQ+ communities is not a contradiction but a powerful source of social and spiritual enrichment. His work serves as a testament to the radical idea that faith, when grounded in love, has the power to transform exclusion into embrace.

(This biographical statement written by Tiarra Hill from information provided by Jide Macaulay and was reviewed by Macaulay.)

Biography Date: October 2025

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