Steinbach church hopes LGBTTQ+-friendly holiday performance welcoming for all

Christmas can be a difficult time for many members of the LGBTTQ+ community. Some are estranged from family and some may not feel welcome or safe at seasonal church services.

A Steinbach church wants to change that by hosting an inclusive performance of Messiah Queered.

“The holidays are often hard for queer people,” said Grace Mennonite Church co-pastor Kyle Penner of the decision to host the oratorio that is being organized by Steinbach Neighbours for Community, a LGBTTQ+ ally group. “We want to be a place where they can gather and celebrate Christmas.”

The sing-along performance uses the original music and lyrics written by Handel in 1741, but re-imagines the libretto, roles, presentation and context so the story resonates with queer perspectives and identities.

Hosting the performance “is a good fit for our church,” said Penner. “There was lots of enthusiasm for it on the church council. We want to be a welcoming and safe space for everyone.”

It’s also especially important this year, he said, after Steinbach’s annual Pride Parade in September was cancelled due to threats of violence.

“I know that spaces where LGBTTQ+ people feel safe are not easy to find here,” Penner said. “The fear in the area is real.”

To make sure everyone feels safe, the church is working with Steinbach Neighbours for Community on a security plan for the event.

“I hope we won’t need it,” he said.

Hosting the oratorio is also a way to show a different face of Christianity to the queer community, Penner said, noting many queer people have had painful experiences with Christianity.

“If we can be part of the healing, we want to do that,” he said. “We are looking forward to an evening of joy and great music.”

Trevor Kirczenow is organizing the performance together with his partner, Ken MacDonald.

“We kept asking ourselves how we can make Steinbach a more welcoming place for LGBTTQ+ people,” said Kirczenow, who is an extra musician with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and is serving as concertmaster for the performance. “This is a response to that question.”

Many queer people deal with trauma from their experiences in churches, he said, but faith is still an important part of their lives.

“Events like this are a chance to be with others in joyous celebration,” he said.

The two took inspiration from a performance put on by the Rainbow Harmony Project at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Winnipeg in 2023.

“That was such a great experience that we decided it should be done again,” said MacDonald, who is associate principal horn with the WSO and will be conducting the soloists, chorus and instrumentalists in Messiah Queered.

The concert is not just for queer people, he added. “It’s an inclusive event. Anyone can come. You don’t need to be queer.”

Kirczenow called events like Messiah Queered life-saving work, especially at Christmas.

“Many members of the LGBTTQ+ community experience depression and anxiety during the holiday season,” he said. “It can be a sad and lonely time. This can be a time of joy and being together. The music can be healing.”

The themes of the oratorio also resonate with LGBTTQ+ people, MacDonald said, referencing lyrics about Jesus being despised and rejected. “Those are words that LGBTTQ+ people can feel in their hearts.”

Soprano soloist Kris Cahatol, who sang in the chorus during the 2023 performance, returns.

“I’ll be singing some of the tenor parts,” Cahatol said, noting Messiah Queered enables soloists to try different parts. “That makes it fun.”

Cahatol, who is studying music therapy at Canadian Mennonite University, is also glad for a chance to sing with other queer people.

“I don’t get a lot of opportunities to do that,” they said, adding the music “speaks to me as a queer person.”

They acknowledged that religious spaces can be uncomfortable for many queer people but by attending the show, members of the LGBTTQ+ community can “claim that space as their own.”

Messiah Queered will be held at Grace Mennonite Church, located at 430 Third St. in Steinbach on Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. It will also be performed on Dec. 5 in Winnipeg at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church (600 Cambridge St.) at 7 p.m.

Tickets to both performances are available at wfp.to/iOF. General admission is $12.06. Reserved seats are $33.40.

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