Rainbow service at Renfrew, Ont. church resets relationship with LBGTQ2S+ community

A first-of-its-kind religious service in the Ottawa Valley is aiming to restore the relationship between the church and the LGBTQ2S+ community.

The "rainbow service" was held for the first time at the beginning of February at the Trinity St. Andrew's United Church in Renfrew. The service will continue to take place on the first Sunday evening of each month.

"Personally, on my journey growing up in the church, I was always very closeted and I didn't really share my identity too much," said Danah-Lee Krieger.

Krieger became the music director at St. Andrew's in May 2022. Since then her goal has been to bridge the fractured relationship between her identity and her faith.

"I felt that I was really called to start mending that divide between the queer community and the church," she tells CTV News.

The inaugural service began with an apology from Rev. James Murray, who acknowledged the strained relationship between the church and the queer community.

"We've had a history of sometimes making mistakes, and we believe in forgiveness," Murray said to CTV News.

"So the first thing you have to do is apologize for the hurt, and say we are trying to build something creative and hopeful together."

Renfrew Pride founder Chris Kyte was in attendance for the first service Feb. 5.

"It wasn't what I was expecting but it was heartfelt," said Kyte. "It wasn't just lip service and it was just a really amazing service. One I wasn't expecting."

"For a lot of people, they have been wounded by their churches and excluded and kicked out, and having to live in fear," added Murray. "And that was on the church, it's not on them."

St. Andrew's says roughly 45 people attended the first rainbow service, about half of what is normally seen Sunday mornings.

"It was a real blessing just to see that many people coming out. It just shows there is a real need for that kind of acceptance and inclusion here in Renfrew," said Murray.

The turnout and support was more than what Krieger expected, who said the rainbow service needed to be different from what is seen Sunday mornings.

She's hoping to use her music to create a lively atmosphere going forward. Kyte says that is what she saw; people grateful they had a place to worship, with many dancing and singing along despite not being present in church for a number of years.

"I looked back and there's an entire back row of youth, but then in the front row there was people in their 60s," said Krieger. "So it really did cross the generational divide."

The music director acknowledges there will be backlash from some sections of the public, but assures those in the queer community looking for religious support that St. Andrew's is a safe haven.

"I can go down a road of being fearful or I can look eyes forward and just focus on the good and what can come out of this," says Krieger. "Not just for me but for people just like me as well."