Pastor William Kumuyi offered to resign as General Superintendent of
the Deeper Life Bible Church following the controversy that trailed the
wedding of his second son, John.
John Kumuyi and his wife, Love had engaged in acts, which negated the
church’s tradition during their wedding held in Jamaica on June 15,
2013. Love, who is a daughter of the National Overseer of Deeper Life
Bible Church, Jamaica, Pastor Augustine Odih, was dressed in a fitted
stylish wedding gown with transparent short sleeves. She also wore
makeup, jewelry and carried a bouquet of flowers. The couple cruised in a
limousine and had a huge wedding cake.
The misdemeanor, which attracted widespread criticisms, had earned
the newlyweds suspension from church activities despite showing remorse
and tendering an apology to the church, blaming their misconduct on the
fact that both of them had resided abroad for so long.
Sunday Sun gathered that the practice in the Deeper Christian Life
Ministry is that if members’ children misbehave, both the children and
their parents get punished on the grounds that it’s the parents’ failing
in their responsibilities that made the children to err. Although the
children involved in the Jamaican wedding infraction are adults, the
leadership of the church regarded their action as a strong breach of its
tradition, and immediately removed the bride’s father, from his
position as National Overseer in Jamaica.
To demonstrate that there is no double standard in the church, it was
further learnt that Pastor Kumuyi, at the meeting held by the
leadership of the church on the matter, offered to resign as
General
Superintendent, but was prevailed upon not to.
According to the Sunday Sun source, the General Superintendent did
not take kindly to the couple’s behaviour and, unlike Eli in the Bible
who did not discipline his sons and incurred the wrath of God, Pastor
Kumuyi had ensured that the offenders were sanctioned.
Meanwhile, the suspension of John and his wife from church
activities has provoked mixed reactions from notable church leaders and
other Nigerians.
Outspoken Pastor and the General Overseer of Latter Rain Assembly,
Pastor Tunde Bakare who was once a member of the church condemned the
punishment meted out by the church, describing it as wicked. Said Pastor
Bakare: “I personally did not see what they have done wrong. A man is
entitled to his own authority in his own home.1st Peter Chapter 3. A
wife should dress to please the husband and not the members of the
church or public. It’s sheer wickedness to the couple, they should leave
them to enjoy their honeymoon. They should not squeeze them to the
modus operandi of a particular organization. I did not see anything
wrong in the wedding. The bride was not naked or dressed inappropriately
and the groom didn’t. Esther the queen was beautifully dressed in the
bible to gain the king’s attention. They should not make mountain out of
a molehill. I was in the Deeper Life Bible Church for five years and
nobody compelled me to dress the way I dressed. My wife was with me in
the church though we weren’t married then. She wears earrings and
dresses nicely. All this talk about this couple should stop.”
In the same vein, a leader of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria
(PFN) in Osun State and General Overseer of the Royal Family Life
Ministry, Pastor Sam Segun-Progress described the suspension of John
Kumuyi and his wife from the church as a wrong decision taken by the
leadership as capable of sending wrong signals about Christianity to the
public, especially non-Christians.
He said: “dressing in any way does not affect the faith of any
individual. Putting on earrings and making up do not by any way mean
sinful acts. It’s not against Christian faith to dress the way the woman
dressed. But it was actually against the doctrine of Deeper Life Bible
Church, and since the church is not the Kingdom of God, the couple
should be allowed to do that which pleases them and their belief.”
According to him, the Bible states clearly that, “there is no
condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus,” adding, “for any church
leader to condemn a member contravenes the standard of the scripture,
which is the symbol of our Christian faith. The doctrine of any church
has nothing to do with the kingdom of God. Every individual should be
allowed to do that which pleases his faith,” he added.
The Osogbo-based Christian leader who noted that the church should be
a rehabilitation centre, said “I would have appreciated it better if
this affected couple were just disciplined within the church and were
not suspended,” saying that the suspension of the two notable members of
the church was capable of sending them out of the church and
Christianity totally.”
According to him, “all I can deduce from what happened in the Deeper
Life Bible Church is hypocrisy and this is not too good for our churches
and the church leaders. I will urge the leadership of Deeper Life Bible
Church to read the book of Exodus and see what God says about
hypocrisy. The development in the church was a bad omen for the body of
Christ and did not portray the church well before the public, especially
the non-Christians.”
The Pentecostal preacher maintained that, “It is the wish of God that
everybody comes to repentance. Jesus Christ during his eventful
ministry on earth did not send anybody away. Even sinners ate with him
and he did not condemn them. Why should we now suspend people and send
them out of the church for an act which was merely against the doctrine
of the church and which no one can prove was against the kingdom of God?
Is any Church the kingdom of God? Or can anyone assume the position of
God?”
He urged Christian leaders to live above hypocrisy and allow the
spirit of God to direct them in their dealings with fellow human beings,
even as he called for genuine acts, saying, “God cannot be mocked and
God cannot be deceived by anyone.” He counseled Nigerian leaders to
learn from the development in the church and serve with genuine hearts,
saying the country needs genuine and purpose-driven leaders in a time
like this.
Corroborating the views of Pastor Progress, a leader of the Cherubim
and Seraphim Church in Osun State, Apostle Durodola Michael expressed
worry about the development in the Deeper Life Bible Church and declared
that the decision of the leadership of the church was not only harsh
but contradicts Christian faith, which he said places premium on
repentance.
He said “the leadership of the church should have forgiven the couple
who after realizing their mistakes tendered an unreserved apology to
them. Christianity teaches us forgiveness and one of the tenets of the
Christian faith is forgiveness. The couple after apologizing to the
leadership of the church needed not be punished again if the church will
follow the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
According to him, “the only area where I noticed that the church
leadership erred was their lack of forgiving spirit. It was reported
that the couple apologized and that should have been the end if the
church would go by the teaching of Christ. The action of the church was
capable of sending the couple out of the church system.”
He noted that the doctrinal practice of the church might not stand
the test of time considering developments in the world and the
expansion in the church, especially its location in most western
countries now.
“The church cannot continue with its practice. I don’t think the
practice can last. Before now, it was a sin for members of the church to
have televisions in their houses, but today they don’t only have them,
but the General Superintendent of the church even ministers via the
television to his members and others across the world. So, such practice
can’t last.
For Mr Tony Okafor, Chairman, Law Students Forum, Anambra State, “the
world has grown beyond a period when somebody will hold one to the
traditions of one’s father. People should be allowed to exercise their
freedom without any form of chains or handcuff. It’s natural that after
parental tutelage, the child should be allowed to exercise his or her
right upon growing up.
“The constitution of this country is very clear that everyone has
freedom of religion; it is a fundamental right that cannot be derogated
by anybody, including parents. So I think Kumuyi and his church should
allow the young couple exercise this rights as enshrined under Section
38 of the Nigeria Constitution.
The lesson for the leadership of the church is that there is a limit
within which you can put people in a cage and expect them to be quiet
all the time.”
Apostle Lawrence Achudume of Victory Life Bible Church, Abeokuta said
the development reveals that some things some churches are holding on
to are no longer relevant. He said “I was once in the Deeper Life many
years ago. I know some of them are no longer practicable in the 21st
century. For the son of General Superintendent who was raised in Pastor
Kumuyi’s house and the girl in question who is the daughter of another
General Superintendent of the church in Jamaica, to come and negate the
rules shows that something is wrong with the doctrines they are
enforcing. The couple can’t claim to be ignorant of the doctrines of
their father’s church. The couple can’t claim that they have not seen
how those who have married before them in the church did. The lesson I
want the leadership of the church to learn from this is that they should
not go ahead preaching or forcing things their children or congregation
can’t follow. The world is changing.”
“The suspension itself on a global society is an infringement on
their fundamental human rights. The couple has apologized openly; why
the suspension? Will the suspension rewind or cancel the wedding if the
church had been silent on it? The couple deliberately wanted to do
what they did, and they have done it. By their pedigree, they knew the
rule and they deliberately broke the rule. It’s also a lesson to
Nigerian parents. We should not be too rigid or harsh on our children;
we should give them an element of freedom, because time is changing from
the time we were born.”
Founder of the Odua People’s Congress, Dr. Fredrick Fasehun also
asked that the couple be left alone. “People should allow the young
couple to live their lives the way they want it. In a wedding ceremony, a
couple is free to do whatever they want to do. It’s their day of joy.
Their outfits should be what they want to wear and not what the public
expects them to put on. Whether the wedding is flamboyant or not depends
on the bride and the groom. In the first wedding of Christianity, there
was eating and drinking, as a matter of fact, when the wine was
exhausted, they requested for more to satisfy the guests.”
Mrs. Stella Awoh, a lecturer at the Yaba College of Technology said
that judgment should be left to God. “Leave Judgment to God,” adding,
however that the bride could have conformed to church rules.
“Kumuyi must have his reasons for allowing it. Remember that the
church members now watch TV unlike before. Let us leave judgment to God.
But that girl could have conformed to the tradition of the church. Head
covering is a must in Deeper Life Church and as long as that is the
tradition of the church and it’s biblical to cover the head, the girl
could have covered her hair on her wedding day, although God answers
prayers whether the head is covered or not,” Awoh said.
While many condemned the church’s action, others, on the other hand argued that the church was right in punishing the couple.
According to Rev. Joseph Olusegun Awusinu of Hosanna Mission of
Christ Ministry International, Abeokuta, Ogun State, “where there is no
law, there is no sin, once they have rules and regulations in the
church, by way of their doctrine, the couple ought to have obeyed them.
Once they have gone against it, they needed to be punished. So to me,
the suspension is in order. It’s to serve as a deterrent to other
members of the church who may want to go the way the couple had gone. My
appeal is that the leadership of the church should not allow the
suspension to last long. I agree that civilization may have eroded some
of the doctrines of the church, but I think anyone or group who does
not want to respect the doctrines can take their exit. But once you
decide to stay in a church, you must respect their rules and regulations
to the letter.”
To Mr. Biodun Ogunleye of the Anglican Church Communion, Abeokuta,
what the leadership of the Deeper Life Church did was to tell the world
that they practice what they preach. “To me, I think the son or
daughter of a pastor or Imam should practice what his or her father or
mother preaches. Once their doctrines negate what they did, they should
be punished, at least to tell the world that being the son or daughter
of an influential person does not matter. It’s a lesson to our children
too that we must always respect the wishes of our parents and leaders.”
The General Superintendent, Voice of Freedom Ministry, Benin, Edo
State, Abraham Chigbundu in his reaction said, “the truth of the matter
is, if you accept to be part, you should follow the tradition of the
place. What they did violates the tradition of the church, not the
Bible.
“They should have known that their conduct would upset the church.
The two have tried to make a statement that it’s not this outward
appearance. Nobody condemned the limousine. There is likelihood more of
this will occur. Moderation does not mean you’re a moron.
“For the suspension, the Church is right in keeping its tradition. In
summary, (1) They should have obeyed the church rules. (2) The Church
is right to have suspended them and (3) They are making a statement by
saying change the rule. The leaders should look into it and see how they
can correct it.”
In his reaction, the Anglican Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Bishop
Emmanuel Chukwuma, said the action of John and his wife is regrettable,
especially as both are children of top-ranking leaders of the church. He
also commended the church for sanctioning the duo and said such caution
would as well serve as indirect caution on the rest of the church. He
also advised that people should not view the decision of the church as
unnecessary vilification, adding that since both culprits are adults
coming from the first families of the church, they have no excuse for
failing to comply with the rules and tradition of their church. His
words:
“The Deeper Life Church has a long reputation for simplicity – no
earrings, no makeup, perming of hair or artificial hair and all that.
The church has no room, whatsoever, for flamboyancy, either in dressing
or any other thing about life. So, the couple’s action was a complete
sell-out and very discouraging attitude. And I encourage the leadership
of the church to take further action towards returning to the basics of
the church’s tradition of simplicity, modesty and decency. It’s good
they were cautioned because, I believe, the suspension is geared towards
instilling discipline in the church.
Deeper Life has long been known
for modesty and decency. What John Kumuyi and his bride did was almost
opposite of what Deeper Life preaches and the action has given the
church a bad impression. So, whatever action the church has taken
against the duo was simply a caution and a reminder that people should
be very cautious about the way they dress and their general lifestyle.
“So, I think Pastor Kumuyi allowed the axe to fall on his son,because
he realizes that leadership, at all levels, must be by example. People
must be careful and endeavor not to fall into the temptation of handling
church’s funds as personal affair. There should be overall discipline
in the church because the church belongs to God, not man. Even the issue
of makeup and other issues raised, are all against the teachings of
Deeper Life that we all know. And that was why the couple had to
apologize to the church,”
To the Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN),Oyo State,
Pastor Ayo Olabisi, the Deeper Life Church deserves commendation for the
action it took against the couple. Olabisi commended the Deeper Life
Church committee for the suspension of the couple, saying “There should
be discipline in the house of God. That is how it should be. Where
there is discipline, you can’t just be behaving the way you like. I
wholeheartedly support it.”
Also, a member of Deeper Life Church in Ibadan who craved anonymity
said she doesn’t understand
why John was suspended when his father who
is the General Superintendent of the church was said to be at the
wedding. “At least, he should have told them if they didn’t know that
the mode of dressing of the wife is against Deeper Life doctrine.”
An elder in Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Samuel Odekunle also
commended the church for the couple’s suspension adding that CAC
doctrine is also against such reckless dressing, though according to
him, some CAC members are also guilty of the same offence. “Sometimes,
you will not be able to differentiate a Christian home from a
non-Christian home by the way some people dress during their wedding.”
A leading motivational speaker and Senior Pastor, Destiny Life
Christian Centre in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Pastor Tony Banks in his
reaction said the couple should have known that they cannot dress
outside the standards set by the church as long as they remain members.
He also argued that it is high time the church jettisoned some of its
doctrines, which actually hinder spiritual growth and progress.
“First of all, it is imperative to say that Dr. W.F. Kumuyi is a
sincere, great and anointed servant of God. However, when it comes to
doctrinal and life issues, no one is infallible.
“The bride and groom, who are members of Deeper Life should and are
expected to obey the rules and codes of conduct of the ministry, since
they are members of the church. They can dress up as they want from the
day they withdraw their membership of the church.
“However, the leadership should, henceforth, learn to amend some of
the church’s puritanical doctrines that are inimical to Christian growth
and progress.”
Speaking in the same vein, Pastor Funwei, who attends the Deeper Life
Church, said, “the church stands on holiness. We are not sentimental
concerning issues like that, whoever is found wanting must be
disciplined no matter the title he or she is holding. We so much believe
that in heaven, title does not matter but the righteousness and how you
obey God will definitely count on that day.
Pastor Leo Nwokoji, a member of Deeper Life Church said the action is
not a condemnation, but a form of discipline, saying that there are
standards and everyone upholds such standards. Anyone that defaulted
should be disciplined, he said, adding that there is no immunity in
God’s kingdom.
Emeka Ejim who is the Provincial Youth President, Anglican Youth
Fellowship, Enugu Province, said “…the bride and groom are both living
outside the country where culture, ways of dressing, etc are not given
any attention. The modus in the Western world as regards to church
tradition is that you should come to God the way you are… gays,
lesbians, don’t cover your hair etc…so I blame them for not conforming
to their church’s doctrine on outward appearance…if they had wanted the
‘oyibo way of wedding’ it’s simple, go to the church that suits your
taste, more so that the leader of the Deeper Life, Pastor Kumuyi is
directly involved. Also the counseling section that prepared them for
the wedding has a question to answer. Were they rightly informed of the
church’s norms? If yes, then it’s an act of disobedience to the church
authority.
