I didn’t grow up in a Christian home, my parents are atheists. Many people would say to me that they found it weird that my African parents didn’t have a religion. But this didn’t impact my upbringing, my parents taught my siblings and I to respect people no matter their background.
Regardless, I would still attend my grandma’s Pentecostal church with her in Hertfordshire, but because she made me, not because I felt a genuine connection with God.
Once I started university, one of my friends wanted to find a good church for us to attend together in Coventry. She invited me to church and I, wanting to be open, started going to church with her every Sunday. The pastors were lovely and answered every question I had with grace and understanding.
After a year, I became an active member of the church, attending all the youth summits and groups. I even made new friends in the church, some of whom I am still close to today. I found peace in my walk with God that I never had before. However, despite this, I was still met with judgement from some of the church members as I was one of the most outspoken women in the congregation.