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Why Pastor Kumuyi offered to resign over son’s controversial wedding – Jamaican General Overseer suspended

+ Clergy divided over Kumuyi’s suspension of son

Kumuyi's son wedding
Kumuyi’s son wedding

THE controversial wedding of Pastor William Kumuyi’s second son, John took a twist on Saturday, July 6, 2013, when Pastor Kumuyi offered to resign as General Superintendent of Deeper Life Bible Church.

ENCOMIUM Weekly’s check revealed that during an emergency meeting of the church’s leadership, the holiness preacher declared his intention to resign as the General Superintendent just to demonstrate there is no double standard in the church and that leaders should lead by example.  We reliably gathered that his decision is not unconnected with the practice in the Deeper Life Bible Church that if children of the leadership of the ministry erred, both the children and their parents would get punished on the ground that it’s the parents who have failed in their responsibilities.

According to our source, if a pastor’s son misbehaves and brings the integrity of the ministry to disrepute, his father would be deposed.  Thus, during the meeting held by the leadership of the church concerning the issue, Pastor Kumuyi offered to resign but the church refused his request.

Information available to ENCOMIUM Weekly also revealed that the bride’s father, Pastor Augustine Odih, who incidentally is the National Overseer of Deeper Life Bible Church in Jamaica has been removed.  We learnt the leadership of the church felt he failed to imbibe the ministry’s doctrine on worshippers within his district.

Meanwhile, there has been mixed reactions from Christian leaders over the controversial wedding and the aftermath suspension of the couple.

Fiery preacher and General Overseer of Christ Royal Family International Churches, Bishop Tom Samson supported the decision of the ministry to suspend the couple.

“Every ministry has its own vision, mission and creed.  And it is expected that each member of the ministry obeys them, when you violate them, that’s an act of indiscipline.  I am sure the couple understands the ministry’s lifestyle and once they are still under their authority, they have no right to violate them.  If my own son does such, I would discipline him.  That would give me the moral right to instill discipline in the Body of Christ.

Pastor Yinka Oyekunle of Church of Christ Gospel Mission, also supported the act.  “Once they are under the authority of the church, they have no excuse for giving an excuse.  They are only exempted if they had quit the ministry to join one that suits their lifestyle.”

Meanwhile, 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 ministry, describing it as wickedness.  “I, personally did not see what they have done wrong.  A man is entitled to his own home.  1 Peter 3 says 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 do 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 molehill.  I was in the Deeper Life Bible Churh for five years and nobody compelled me to dress the way I dressed.  My wife was with me in the church though we were not married then.  She wears earrings and dresses nicely.  All this talk about this couple should stop.”

John Kumuyi and his wife, Love, had engaged in acts which negated the ministry’s tradition during their wedding held in Jamaica on Saturday, June 5, 2013.  Love Odih, who is the daughter of the National Overseer of Deeper Life Bible Church in Jamaica was dressed in a fitted stylish wedding gown which is transparent and short sleeved.  She also wore make-up, jewelry and carried a bouquet of flowers.  They also cruised in a Limousine and had a huge wedding cake.  This act attracted widespread criticism which eventually earned the unlucky couple suspension from church activities despite tending an open letter of apology.

On Friday, July 12, 2013, we contacted one of the ministry’s spokespersons, Pastor Lekan, who shed light on the evolving saga.  “Thank you for the enquiry.  We can’t allow Baba to resign.  It’s not possible.  The reason is that he was unaware of the whole thing.  The lady in question is a lawyer in Jamaica.  Thus, when Baba and the delegates from Lagos got to Jamaica, they were not privileged to see her because she feigned busy schedule.  Thus, the service was even underway before she breezed in.  Although they have apologized but because Baba is a man of principle, he had to suspend them.”

 

THIS STORY WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN ENCOMIUM WEEKLY ON TUESDAY, JULY 16, 2013

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