With Founder, Pastor WILLIAM KUMUYI
The Deeper Life Bible Church has been in the news over the last few weeks. It is over the race to succeed Pastor William Kumuyi, the founder of the Deeper Life Bible Church. The founder faced some challenges from a group of senior pastors in the church. This situation deeply affected Pastor Kumuyi, who was almost brought to tears while addressing the issue on the pulpit.
Many have found this development quite unusual. This is because the Deeper Life Bible Church has been a closely-knit conventional church that rarely gets involved in controversies. This is because the church runs a system that is both conventional and rigid, which leaves very little room for frivolities to infiltrate the church’s structure and doctrines. In many ways, the entire operation of the church revolves around the church’s founder and General Superintendent, Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi and it has been working perfectly for the ministry until recently when the leadership crisis erupted.
The troubles began a few months ago when some senior church members speculated that Pastor Kumuyi had relocated to England. His absence resulted from attending various conferences and crusades abroad. During his time away, the church found itself without a leader, as noted by a youth pastor who spoke to us confidentially. He explained, “Deeper Life is a unique church where activities are closely monitored from the top. However, things began to decline while the General Overseer was away for several months. Without his guidance, branches and pastors started to act independently; everyone was doing as they pleased.”
The youth pastor further elaborated that some senior pastors, who have contributed significantly to the church’s growth alongside the General Overseer, felt they deserved more authority and respect. They believe they should hold more prominent positions within the church hierarchy. Some members expressed concern about Pastor Kumuyi’s age and felt the church needed a new direction to expand beyond its current operations.
According to the youth pastor, while Pastor Kumuyi was away, some senior members convened to discuss the necessity of having a leader to coordinate church activities. Some even suggested that the General Overseer could pass leadership to a younger individual.
In response to these developments a few weeks ago, Pastor Kumuyi spoke from the pulpit and was visibly emotional about the situation.
He has expressed significant displeasure regarding subtle agitations within the church concerning his potential successor. He questioned whether church members are tired of him and emphasized that no one can exert control over him.
During a recent Bible study program, which was shared online, Pastor Kumuyi appeared visibly agitated while addressing the congregation. He stated that he would not be stampeded into yielding to the demands of certain elements within the church.
He confronted the issue directly before the audience, asking, “Are you tired of me?” to which the congregation responded with a resounding “Nooo.” The 83-year-old pastor took particular issue with comments made by an unnamed young preacher the previous week, who repeatedly stated, “There is no leadership without a successor.”
“The brother who spoke last Tuesday kept saying there is no leadership without a successor,” Kumuyi noted. “He mentioned it twice, which I found excessive, especially since your father is still here. God will give a successor in His own time,” he asserted.
Pastor Kumuyi emphasized that Biblical precedents illustrate that it is God—not human pressure—who appoints successors. He firmly stated, “You are not going to fight your shepherd, your pilot. I reject any member of the church, whether you are a worker, choir member, or security personnel, who tries to control me. I won’t even take that from my wife because I am the head of my home. I stand where I stand, and nobody will put me under pressure.”
He urged church members not to undermine his mission and warned against any attempts to sway him. “Don’t try to kill my conviction. It will only make me resist you so that when you get to the other side, you won’t say I didn’t warn you. I will continue to remind you of this until I leave,” he said.
Pastor Kumuyi explained that he has deliberately created opportunities for many gifted individuals within the church to preach, but he insisted that the matter of his successor is ultimately “in the hands of God.” He stated, “If God has provided you with a pastor who is still active at this age, with a strong voice, preaching the gospel everywhere, and you are clamoring for a successor, it makes me think you are tired of seeing me around. You don’t want me to feel like I’m imposing myself on you.”
While acknowledging that there will eventually be a successor, Kumuyi maintained that this transition will occur on divine terms. He added, “When the time comes, God will choose a man after His own heart. Don’t try to drive me away, even though I know…”
