SON’S WEDDING CONTROVERSY:KUMUYI OFFERS TO RESIGN

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.