Members joined through God's Beloved, a quickly growing community of LGBTQIA+ African refugees and immigrants led by Rev. Daniel Addai Fobi
Kitchissippi United Church, in Ottawa, Ontario celebrated a historical moment of growth this past Sunday, February 15, when they welcomed 105 new community members to join the United Church of Canada. The joyful service, filled with dancing and song in English and African languages, signalled a new era for a community that’s building an invitation of hope to those for whom it makes a world of difference.
The new members are all part of God’s Beloved, an inclusive group of LGBTQIA+ African Christian refugees founded in August 2024 at Kitchissippi United by Rev. Jenni Leslie, minister at Kitchissippi United, and Rev. Daniel Addai Fobi, a Ghanaian poet, advocate, and faith leader from a Pentecostal background, who leads the group.
God’s Beloved Group was established when the community recognized the need for a safe Christian space for LGBTQIA+ African refugees and newcomers to Canada, who were struggling with loneliness and isolation. For many of them, the financial and legal stresses of immigration were compounded by those of severe traumas experienced in their home countries, where discrimination and violence against LGBTQIA+ people is heartbreakingly commonplace.
An invitation of hope
According to Rev. Leslie, some members of God’s Beloved fled their home countries for fear of being killed for their sexual orientation or gender identity; others have had family members kidnapped or been targeted as victims of sexual violence for the same reason.
God’s Beloved began with a simple invitation to gather for a coffee hour before and after Sunday services, which seven people joined in its first week. Rev. Fobi has worked skillfully since to connect those in need to the group, often in its early days inviting people he would hear on the bus or in public speaking Nigerian or Ghanaian languages. The weekly meetings grew, as did the group’s monthly queer potlucks. In its first year, God’s Beloved was already a community of nearly 100 people.
In the group, members have a space to share their experiences of these traumas and to be directed towards support resources for mental heath, employment, immigration, languages, and more. They also have the opportunity to experience mutual care, joy, and belonging, with many for the first time feeling part of a community that sees and values them as their authentic selves.
Between November 2024 and March 2025, Kitchissippi United welcomed around 50 of the God’s Beloved group as members of The United Church of Canada. As the group continued to grow—its WhatsApp chat now has 220 members—so did the number of those wanting to join the church. This interest reached a “critical mass,” Rev. Leslie said, that resulted in Sunday’s service, which included a communal ceremony inducting 105 of the God’s Beloved group all at once as United Church members.
“How many ministers have seen this in their lifetime?”
Prior to God’s Beloved, Kitchissippi United’s Sunday congregation typically included 40 to 60 people, with crowds sometimes reaching 80. At the service this past Sunday, 105 alone were joining the church as new members, with many as well in the pews there to worship alongside them and express support.
It was a visual display of community growth that for many present, was amazing to behold.
“It was pretty incredible to see that many people joining the church at once. There were more people up at the front than in the congregation!” said The Right Rev. Dr. Kimberly Heath, Moderator of the United Church of Canada, who attended the service and gave a blessing to the community of faith.
Rev. Leslie, who conducted the “jubilant, very joyful” service, felt the same way upon seeing half of the church filled up with new members: “I think this is historic... this is something that's really big that I will never see again, probably in my lifetime. How many ministers have seen this in their lifetime?”
The service featured readings in Yorùbá and English, and a joyful sung response by the 105 new members following their welcome into the church.
“There was a lot that went into making this happen, but a couple of things I notice is that Rev. Daniel, with God’s Beloved, has an amazing gift of evangelism—a skill most of us in the United Church need to improve—and Kitchissippi United, with Rev. Jenni, has a genuine gift of hospitality,” said The Right Rev. Dr. Heath. “They are a community truly open to others and willing to change. It’s amazing what can happen when we lean into the gifts we have, and are ready to follow God who is up to something wonderful in our churches and our neighborhoods.”
“It’s a fantastic celebration to welcome so many new members into the church. So many of us have the narrative of church decline, but the Kitchissippi United Church experience has been one of growth,” said Rev. Éric Hébert-Daly, Executive Minister of Eastern Ontario Outaouais Regional Council.
An evolving community
As God’s Beloved continues to grow, the work Kitchissippi United does alongside them is evolving. The group has been working with Mego Nerses, a registered psychotherapist and LGBTQIA+ immigrant who has been able to counsel members individually and in groups on coping with trauma, healthy relationships, and what to expect at Immigration and Refugee Board hearings.
The past two winters, Kitchissippi has run a warm coat program where community members can donate winter jackets for the newcomers to pick up at the Sunday gatherings. They’ve also hosted intercultural Christmas dinners at their church hall with Canadian, Ghanaian, and Nigerian food shared. The first Christmas feast saw 25 to 30 people attend; in 2025, that number was over 100.
The community life of God’s Beloved continues to flourish as well: the group has attended events at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa together, including a performance of the Soweto Gospel Choir; in 2025, a trip to see a play about Viola Desmond came as a result of the group’s curiosity to learn more about Canadian history.
As The United Church of Canada continues its commitment to becoming an anti-racist church, the strength of Kitchissippi United’s diversity has also driven their desire to become an intercultural church. Staff from the United Church General Council Office will be working in collaboration on this in the coming months, with Kitchissippi's congregation as a pilot project as the church continues to expand its welcome to all.
“This is a perfect example of identifying people in our context who need to hear the Good News and focusing on how to meet their needs in ways that make sense. When we are focused on meeting the needs of others rather than just meeting our own, we can do powerful ministry and change lives,” said Rev. Hébert-Daly. “Pastor Daniel and Rev. Jenni are living out what it means to evangelize in United Church ways. It’s the work of the Holy Spirit that is constantly seeking our allyship.”
The full service from Sunday, February 15 can be streamed below: