Meet Emiola

“Chicago is an extremely diverse city, but it’s a very segregated space.”

Meet Emiola from Renewal Church in Chicago.

Emiola was born in Chicago and grew up in London and Nigeria. When she returned to Chicago for college, she was surprised and dismayed at the palpable tension in the city. The move was made even more difficult because she had no family in the city. Emiola started attending Renewal Church just over a year ago. Emiola wanted to be a part of a group who would truly know her. Quickly she felt that Renewal was the right place. She explained, “It was one of those places where you felt known. Where you were remembered. At other churches, if I missed a Sunday, no one would know. If I missed a Wednesday, no one would ask.”

Renewal’s vision to be a bridge builder has also been important to Emiola. Because of her multicultural upbringing, she shares, “There’s no one place that I fit in. I’m not Nigerian enough. I’m not English enough. I’m not African American enough. The beauty of Renewal is having a place where I belong. I am enough here. In Christ’s Kingdom I fit in.”

People in cities like Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Cape Town, and Lagos are finding and growing closer to God through churches started through Orchard Group. As city populations surge, let’s make sure that churches are growing where people are going! #PeopleMatterToGod