William Kumuyi

William Folorunso Kumuyi (born 6 June 1941)[1][2] is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry situated at Kilometre 42 on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria. He is the author of several books.[3][4][5][6]

William F. Kumuyi

Ed.D.
1st General Superintendent of Deeper Life Bible Church
Assumed office
1973
Preceded byOffice established
Personal details
Born
William Folorunso Ikumuyiwa

(1941-06-06) June 6, 1941
Orunwa, Ogun State, Protectorate of Nigeria
NationalityNigerian
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1980; died 2009)​

Esther Folashade Kumuyi
​
​
(m. 2010)​
Children
  • Jeremiah
  • John
EducationMayflower School
Alma materUniversity of Ibadan (B.Sc.)
University of Lagos (PGCertEd)
Occupation
Known forHoliness movement
WebsiteDCLM Website

Background

Kumuyi was born into a Christian family in Orunwa, Ogun State, western part of Nigeria. He completed his secondary school education in 1961 at Mayflower School in Ikenne, Ogun State, from where he proceeded to the University of Ibadan and in 1967 graduated with a first-class honours degree in mathematics where he graduated as overall best graduating student in that year. He subsequently took a post-graduate course in Education at the University of Lagos.[7][8][9] He became a born-again Christian in April 1964.[10][11][12]

On his upbringing, Kumuyi was quoted to have said

We would get up in the morning, read the Bible, sing hymns, and go to church regularly. When I went to secondary school I lost interest in the church because our principal taught us atheism. But after a while, I thought again and started going to various churches in town. Eventually, in 1963, a group of singers and preachers from a Gospel church got permission to come to the school. I understood the Gospel message and was born again on April 5th, 1964. I read John Wesley, Charles Finney, Spurgeon, and lots of other books. I got involved with the Scripture Union, and I grew.[7][13][14]

Kumuyi was influenced by John Wesley, Charles Finney and Charles Spurgeon.[15] His father was a member of the Anglican Church.[16] According to an article in The Sun (Nigeria), Kumuyi is also said to be "a one-time member of the Anglican Church (now Anglican Communion), Celestial Church of Christ, Scripture Union (SU) movement and Apostolic Faith before breaking away to found Deeper Life."[15]

Teaching career

Kumuyi began teaching mathematics in 1962 at Mayflower School, his alma mater.[13] He went on, in the early 1970s, to become a lecturer of mathematics at the University of Lagos.[7][17]

Christian ministry

In 1973, while being a lecturer of mathematics at the University of Lagos, Kumuyi began a Bible study group with 15 students who had come to him for Bible training.[7][13][18] This training became the foundation of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry.[19] In 1975, Kumuyi was expelled from the Apostolic Faith Church for preaching on the baptism of the Holy Spirit.[16] He continued his independent ministry, which in 1982 became the Deeper Life Bible Church.[20] As at 2005, the Christian ministry is said to have over 800,000 affiliates.[21]

Place of worship

The Deeper Christian Life Ministry founded by Kumuyi has the international headquarters of its church in Gbagada, Lagos.[22] The church auditorium at the international headquarters could sit up to 30,000 worshippers; it was described by experts as the fourth largest in the world.[23] The auditorium was inaugurated on the 24th of April, 2018; the Vice President of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbajo, attended the inauguration.[24]

Other notable places of worship of his Christian ministry include: the Deeper Life Conference Centre in Ogun State at Kilometre 42, Lagos–Ibadan Expressway and the International Bible Training Centre (IBTC) at Ayobo, Lagos.[25]

Published books
  • The Hour of Decision, 1990, ISBN 978-2367-70-2
  • How to Know God's Will in Marriage, 1990, ISBN 978-9-78236-713-6
  • Have Compassion on Them, 1991, ISBN 978-9-78236-700-6
  • The Spirit Controlled Family: W.F. Kumuyi, 1996, ISBN 978-9-78236-742-6
  • The Lord's Prayer, 1997, ISBN 978-1-85424-370-6
  • The Truly Liberated Woman, 2000, ISBN 978-978-2908-25-4
  • Supernatural Supply in All Situations, 2009, ISBN 978-0-88144-416-2
  • Daily Manna, Volume 1, 2011, ISBN 978-1-90549-379-1
  • Daily Manna: A Daily Devotional Guide, 2014, ISBN 978-1-46759-809-5
  • Higher Everyday: A Daily Devotional Guide for Successful Youths, 2014, ISBN 978-1-46759-810-1

Personal life

Kumuyi met Abiodun Olowu in September 1972. She became one of his Bible study students and a member of his fledging Christian ministry. They got married on 13 September 1980 in Lagos, and they have two children, Jeremiah and John. Abiodun Kumuyi died on 11 April 2009.[26]

On 13 October 2010, exactly 18 months after the death of his first wife, Kumuyi married Folashade Adenike Blaize in London. Folashade is the Administrator of the Deeper Life Bible Church, London.[26]

Awards

In 2013, Foreign Policy magazine listed Kumuyi among the "500 most powerful people on the planet".[27]

In 2018, Kumuyi received an honorary PhD from the University of Abuja.[28]

References
  1. Ojewale, Banji (6 June 2011). "Kumuyi: 70 years of sacrificial service". Nigerian Tribune. Ibadan, Nigeria. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
  2. Iwuchukwu, Francis (13 August 2009). "Kumuyi Speaks For The People". AllAfrica.com. AllAfrica Global Media. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  3. Kumuyi, William (1997). The Lord's Prayer. Lion Hudson plc. ISBN 978-1-85424-370-6.
  4. Kumuyi, William F. (1990). The Hour of Decision. Zoe Publishing. ISBN 978-2367-70-2.
  5. Kumuyi, William (2009). Supernatural Supply in All Situations. Yorkshire Publishing. ISBN 978-0-88144-416-2.
  6. Kumuyi, William F. The Truly Liberated Woman. Life Press. ISBN 978-978-2908-25-4.
  7. Banji Ojewale (12 June 2016). "W.F Kumuyi At 75: As It Was On Day One…". Vanguard (Nigeria). Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  8. "Kumuyi: tomorrow belongs to Africa". Farmington Hills, Michigan, USA: The Gale Group. 1 August 2006. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  9. Fasehun, McNezer (13 April 2009). "Of Private Jets and Lot's Wives". AllAfrica.com. AllAfrica Global Media. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  10. Ankomah, Baffour (1 October 2006). "This is Deeper Christian Life: an outsider's view through the eyes of Baffour Ankomah who travelled to four West African countries in August to see how the Deeper Christian Life Ministry is affecting lives". Farmington Hills, Michigan, USA: The Gale Group. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  11. "Pastor Kumuyi Remarries". AllAfrica.com. AllAfrica Global Media. 31 October 2010. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  12. Ankomah, Baffour (1 October 2006). "I don't want anything fake". Farmington Hills, Michigan, USA: The Gale Group. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  13. "W.F. Kumuyi Reveals Shocking Secrets about Himself". Daily Family. 8 May 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  14. Isaacson, Alan (1990). Deeper Life: The Extraordinary Growth of the Deeper Life Bible Church. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-34052-342-1. Alan Isaacson Deeper Life.
  15. Chika Abanobi (15 April 2018). "Revealed: Men of God who mentored Pastor Kumuyi". The Sun (Nigeria). Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  16. Stephen Gyasi Jnr. (25 February 2013). "The Kumuyi I know". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  17. Siobhan Downes (9 August 2014). "Pastor cancels trip to NZ amid Ebola crisis". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  18. Peter Clarke, Encyclopedia of New Religious Movements, Routledge, USA, 2004, p. 156
  19. Laurent Fourchard, André Mary et René Otayek, "Entreprises religieuses transnationales en Afrique de l'Ouest", Karthala Editions, France, 2005, p. 254
  20. J. Gordon Melton and Martin Baumann, Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices, ABC-CLIO, USA, 2010, p. 876
  21. Koschorke, Klaus; Schjørring, Jens Holger (2005). African Identities and World Christianity in the Twentieth Century. Harrassowitz Verlag. p. 74. ISBN 3-447-05331-3.
  22. Kazeem Ugbodaga (24 April 2018). "Deeper Life unveils billion naira headquarters". P.M. News. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  23. Yemi Adebisi (29 April 2018). "Deeper Life New Auditorium: Demonstration Of Unlimited God". The Daily Independent (Lagos newspaper). Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  24. "Osinbajo graces inauguration of the Deeper Life Bible Church headquarters' new auditorium". Encomium Magazine. 25 April 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  25. Baffour Ankomah (October 2006). "A Church in Transition: Deeper Life Is a Church in Transition-In the Sense That It Is Currently Replacing All Its Temporary Buildings for Cathedral-Type Edifices. Baffour Ankomah Went around West Africa to See the Work in Progress". New African. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  26. "Complete story of how Pastor Kumuyi married 65 year-old Folashade Blaize in UK". Encomium Magazine. 4 January 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  27. "The FP Power Map". Foreignpolicy.com. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  28. "Pastor Kumuyi Bags PhD Award From The University of Abuja".

Further reading


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