This page is created with the intent to provide information to the 2S-LGBTQIA+ community to help them choose safe places of worship and celebration of life events.
Religious doctrine and practices play a dominant role in so-called conversion therapy and sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts (SOGIECE). Tired of hate speech, homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia being cloaked in “religious freedom”, and “we love you, but we just hate your sin?” This page contains information on local churches and whether or not they’re safe spaces for the 2S-LGBTQIA+ community. This is currently just a small sample of churches in the Okanagan and as the list shows there is only a very small percentage that support the community.
The overall impact of anti-gay and anti-trans doctrine is pervasive, seeping into every aspect of life. It influences the people we interact with on an everyday basis where we work, with our elected representatives, where we shop, where our children go to school, and even in our family circles. We are told “if you don’t like it don’t attend that church,” and yet, we are affected by it on an everyday basis. Another argument justifying this behavior is “they’re not forcing anyone to change,” which is in fact not true. That is why there is a need to ban “conversion therapy” at all levels of government. Among the most vulnerable are youth who are left with the belief they’re broken because this is what is being taught to them by pastors, and through the church, by some parents.
If you have information to add or edit to this list please submit it through this form.
We are also collecting survivor stories. If you are a survivor of conversion therapy or conversion efforts and would like to share your story please complete this form.
| 🏳️🌈 Openly welcoming. Public information contains welcoming language. | 🟠 Warning: Not a safe space. Homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia are inferred in doctrine and teachings. | 🔴 Extreme warning: Openly homophobic, biphobic and transphobic language used to attack the queer community. |
| Centre for Spiritual Living Kelowna | 🏳️🌈 Openly welcoming – We welcome people of all races, religions, sexual orientations and social backgrounds. This is a place of dignity and love that communicates and celebrates the positive aspects of humankind and the world around us. |
| Central Okanagan United Church | 🏳️🌈 Openly welcoming – No matter your age, faith, sexual orientation, or gender identity, come join us for Sunday Worship Online then followed by coffee and tea at home afterwards. |
| Kelowna Unitarians | 🏳️🌈 Openly welcoming – The Kelowna Unitarians has been a Welcoming Congregation since 1997. That’s the year we completed the special Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) program. As a congregation we voted to affirm that we “welcome the membership and active participation of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and/or transgender people.” |
| St Andrew, Kelowna | 🏳️🌈 Openly welcoming – Lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people can be sure they’ll receive a welcome in many Anglican parish churches across Canada. |
| St Michael and All Angels Cathedral, Kelowna | 🏳️🌈 Openly welcoming – Lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people can be sure they’ll receive a welcome in many Anglican parish churches across Canada. |
| St Saviour, Penticton | 🏳️🌈 Openly welcoming – Lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people can be sure they’ll receive a welcome in many Anglican parish churches across Canada. |
| Winfield United Church | 🏳️🌈 Openly welcoming – No matter who you are, no matter where you’re at, no matter what you believe, no matter who you love, you belong here! |
| Bethel Church Kelowna | 🟠 Warning: Not a safe space – Marriage is between a man and a woman. |
| C3 Church | 🟠 Warning: Not a safe space – Marriage was instituted by God, ratified by Jesus, and is exclusively between a man and a woman. |
| Calvary Chapel Kelowna | 🟠 Warning: Not a safe space – God created men and women distinct, to complement and to support one another. God instituted monogamous marriage between male and female as the foundation of the family and the basic structure of human society. Jesus reaffirmed marriage in the New Testament. Sex is reserved for the covenant of marriage. |
| Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints | 🟠 Warning: Not a safe space – Sexual relations between a man and woman who are not married, or between people of the same sex, violate one of our Father in Heaven’s most important laws and get in the way of our eternal progress. |
| Evangel Church, Kelowna (EC) | 🟠 Warning: Not a safe space – Member of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. The International Pentecostal Holiness Church’s statement, “We have maintained a strong position against premarital, extramarital, and deviant sex, including homosexual and lesbian relationships, refusing to accept the loose moral standards of our society. We commit ourselves to maintaining this disciplined lifestyle with regard to our bodies. This church has partnered with Journey Canada, an organization that specializes in “conversion therapy”. |
| First Lutheran Church, Kelowna | Unknown |
| Grace Baptist Church | 🟠 Warning: Not a safe space – We believe marriage is the institution of the Lord whereby one man and one woman are joined together in a one-flesh union in which each makes a lifelong covenant with the Lord and one another as outlined in the Scriptures. |
| Green Bay Bible Camp | 🟠 Warning: Not a safe space. Parents have reported that religious doctrine is used to tell children that marriage is only between a man and a woman, as well as using anti-trans narratives. |
| Harvest Church Kelowna | 🔴 Extreme Warning: Openly homophobic and transphobic – Live streamed events and recordings contain homophobic and transphobic attacks on the queer community. |
| Hope Bible Church Kelowna | 🟠 Warning: Not a safe space – Member of Great Commission Collective: We believe that marriage is created by God to be shared between one biological man and one biological woman, in a lifelong holy covenant, for the purpose of companionship, sexual intimacy, and procreation. Our created gender, sexuality, and sexual fulfillment are gifts from the Creator and are to be embraced with gratitude and worship. |
| Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church Kelowna | 🟠 Warning: Not a safe space – the Catholic church is known for speaking out against same-sex marriage, has openly lobbied against the conversion therapy ban, and considers homosexual sexual activity a sin. |
| Kelowna Christian Center | 🟠 Warning: Not a safe space – When asked if they are supportive of the queer community a spokesperson said “it’s complicated let’s meet in person.” |
| Kelowna Gospel Fellowship | 🔴 Extreme Warning: Openly homophobic and transphobic – KGF Church is a member of the family of British Columbia Mennonite Brethren Churches. Disciples maintain sexual purity and marital faithfulness and reject immoral premarital and extramarital relationships and all homosexual practices. From a first-hand account of someone who was a member for 6 years: “they dismissed me and another queer-identifying friend from volunteering (actually, they said I could “stay”… since I “didn’t appear queer”… since I’m bi and married to another gender… hetero passing… which is a whole other level of discrimination.” |
| Kelowna Islamic Center | 🟠 Warning: Not a safe space – past experience with homophobic practices. |
| Kelowna Vineyard Church | 🟠 Warning: Not a safe space – We do not allow Vineyard pastors to marry same-sex couples. |
| Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses | 🟠 Warning: Not a safe space – We adhere to God’s original standard of marriage as the union of one man and one woman, with sexual immorality being the only valid basis for divorce. |
| Lake Country Alliance | 🟠 Warning: Not a safe space – members practice conversion efforts and lead pastor describes homosexuality as a sin. |
| Mission Creek Alliance Church | 🟠 Warning: Not a safe space – Belongs to the Christian and Missionary Alliance group. Labels homosexuality, same-sex attraction, and those who question their gendered identity as sin and rebellion against God. This church has partnered with Journey Canada, an organization that specializes in “conversion therapy”. |
| Mission Springs Church of God | 🟠 Warning: Not a safe space – doctrine is that recognized marriage is between a man and a woman |
| Mountainview Church | 🟠 Warning: Not a safe space – doctrine is that recognized marriage is between a man and a woman. Is affiliated with Teen Challenge which teaches courses on “Sexual Purity”, which includes conversion practices and curbing same-sex attractions. |
| New Life Church | 🟠 Warning: Not a safe space – mens’ group teaches the Biblical version of masculinity |
| Praxis Church | 🟠 Warning: Not a safe space – We do not condone same-sex marriage or homosexual lifestyles. Additionally, we believe that God has created men and women as two distinct sexual beings. Any discrepancy between one[‘]s biological sex and gender identity is due to the effects of sin in the world. |
| Providence Baptist Church | 🟠 Warning: Not a safe space – We believe marriage is the institution of the Lord whereby one man and one woman are joined together in a one-flesh union in which each makes a lifelong covenant with the Lord and one another as outlined in the Scriptures. |
| St. Charles Garnier Parish | 🟠 Warning: Not a safe space – Catholic |
| The House | 🟠 Warning: Not a safe space – Marriage is a provision of God wherein one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others enter into a lifelong relationship. Marriage can only be broken by porneia, which is understood as marital unfaithfulness involving adultery, homosexuality, or incest. |
| Trinity Church Kelowna | 🟠 Warning: Not a safe space – God’s design – God created us male and female and God intended the male would become a husband and the female would become a wife. All sexual activity would happen between husband and wife within the sanctity of marriage. — Finding Sexual North: Immorality is Still Immoral Wayne Alguire, March 9/10, 2019 |
| Victory Life | 🟠 Warning: Not a safe space – Partners with Anti-LGBTQ evangelist Kenneth Copeland Ministries. |
| Willow Park Church | 🟠 Warning: Not a safe space – Belongs to Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren. Website states: Disciples maintain sexual purity and marital faithfulness and reject immoral premarital and extramarital relationships and all homosexual practices. |