Banji Ojewale - Kumuyi: Defender of the Faith

Kumuyi: Defender of the Faith

Copyright 2021 by the authors

Published by Elite Publishing Academy, Allia Business Centre, Kings Hedges Road, Cambridge, CB4 2HY, United Kingdom www.ElitePublishingAcademy.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided by United Kingdoms copyright law.

Cover Design: Steve O. Obidi
Cover Photo: Seun Abodunde

First printed 2021. Printed in the United Kingdom

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the authors.

ISBN Paperback - 978-1-912713-38-7
ISBN eBook - 978-1-912713-39-4

Philip Oluwi (Chairman)

Banji Ojewale

Segun Babatope

Emeka Izeze

Tunde Opeibi (Ope-Davies)

Steve O. Obidi

Andrew Umoru

Euriel Momah

T his book would have remained in the womb of time without a man who perceived the hand of God upon his life and yielded all to that God. He unconditionally sacrificed a flourishing career on the altar of Christian ministry and passion to win all men at all cost s. His is an example of a man with an unwavering determination to earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints no matter the odds.

We owe a debt of gratitude to this unique servant of God, a great mentor, an exceptional pastor and a doting shepherd, a peerless leader with global influence, Pastor (Dr.) W. F. Kumuyi. This book is a modest effort to tell the remarkable story of this rare human being, embowelled in heaven and delivered on earth to positively transform lives through gospel propagation, and spread the practice and perpetuation of godly principlesi n our generation.

By all standards, this book is a product of extensive teamwork. It has, therefore, incurred a huge debt of gratitude to people who, for obvious reasons, are too many to mention. We appreciate the numerous people who worked assiduously to make the book a reality by generously contributing expertise and resources. Not to be forgotten are Abimbola Adewole, Abiodun I. Agunbiade, Goodness E. Guruje, Opeyemi O. Olasemu and Patricia I. Osakwe who served as assistant researchers and Lukeman Olayiwola who assisted in layout design. We remain eternally grateful.

1941: William Folorunso Kumuyi is born into an Anglican family in Erin-Ijesha, Osun State, South-west Nigeria.

1961: Completes secondary school education at Mayflower School, Ikenne, Ogun State.

1962: From February to September, teaches in a primary school in Mushin, Lagos and prepares for GCE Advanced Level.

1962: Kumuyi begins teaching Mathematics at Mayflower School.

1964: Kumuyi is born again as a secondary school teacher after receiving the Gospel message.

1964: Secures direct entry admission to the University of Ibadan.

1967: Bags first class degree in Mathematics at the University of Ibadan.

1968: Returns to Mayflower School to teach Mathematics.

1972: At University of Lagos for Postgraduate Certificate in Education.

1973: Appointed Lecturer in Mathematics at the University of Lagos.

1973: Kumuyi starts a small Bible Study group with 15 young 'truth seekers' at his official University residence, Flat 7, later called Flat 2.

1975: Kumuyi is ex-communicated from the Apostolic Faith Church ''for preaching without being ordained as a minister.

1975: First Deeper Life Retreat holds at National Technical Teachers College, now Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, Lagos with 500 in attendance.

1977: The Deeper Christian Life Ministry is registered as a legal entity.

1978: Kumuyi attends School of Ministry in Kenya.

1979: Ghanaian Christians invite Kumuyi to Kumasi, leading to the establishment of the first outpost of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry after its take-off in Nigeria.

1980: Kumuyi marries Biodun Olowu, one of the pioneer members of the 1973 Bible Study Group of 15 at Flat 2, University of Lagos

1980: International Bible Training Centre (IBTC) inaugurated at Ayobo, Lagos with students from Nigeria and West Africa.

1981: Recruitment drive for African students for IBTC on scholarship.

1982: Kumuyi's Bible Study Group transforms into Deeper Life Bible Church, starting with Sunday Worship Service.

1983: Kumuyi retires voluntarily as Mathematics Lecturer at the University of Lagos to serve as full-time pastor.

1983: House Caring Fellowship System introduced in Deeper Life Bible Church (DLBC), sparking exponential growth in membership.

1984: Kumuyi lays bare new strategic missionary vision for Africa, leading to the first mass posting of missionaries to countries on the continent.

1985: DLBC plants an assembly in Britain.

1985: Kumuyi convenes the Great Miracle Crusade at the National Stadium, Lagos

1988: The congregation grows to 50,000, and now numbers 120,000 members, making Deeper Life Bible Church the Third Largest Single Congregation in the World

1990: Deeper Life Bible Church decentralizes.

1992: Kumuyi hosts the first International Church Growth Conference in Lagos in conjunction with AD 2000 Movement and Fuller Theological Ministry, both in the USA.

1993: Kumuyi organises the First Leadership Strategy Congress in Lagos.

2001: Kumuyi holds the first nationwide Success Academy for Youths (SAY).

2005: Satellite transmission of Church services begins.

2005: Africa-wide crusade undertaken by Kumuyi.

2005: Kumuyi's Church is said to have over 800,000 affiliates.

2009: Kumuyi loses wife, Biodun.

2010: Kumuyi founds Deeper Life High School.

2010: Kumuyi remarries to Esther Folashade Blaize in London.

2013: Kumuyi named among world's 500 most influential persons by Foreign Policy Magazine.

2014: Deeper Christian Life Ministry launches Anchor University, the first private university in Lagos.

2017: Deeper Christian Life Ministry establishes Anchor University, a faith-based private tertiary institution in Lagos.

2018: Kumuyi receives an honorary PhD from the University of Abuja

2018: New Deeper Life Bible Church Headquarters opens in Lagos.

2020: Kumuyi collaborates with the Bible society of Nigeria (BSN), to produce the Holy Bible in Yoruba.

E very mans life is a story, through which the lessons of life, either positive or negative, could be unravelled, for the inspiration required by others, to live a better life. No better story can ever be told among men, than that of a man whom God has specially chosen and commissioned to reveal Him to others, a man who has himself sacrificed all earthly things, to allow God manifest Himself through him. The story of such man, no doubt, becomes the story of Gods manifestation among men.

In our opinion, Pastor W. F. Kumuyi is one of the greatest teachers of the Bible in our generation. He will be remembered for generations to come for his in-depth exposition of the word of God, his passion for evangelism, his commitment to Christ and his life of purity and self-discipline, which combined to reveal the manifold presence of God among men.

Pastor W. F. Kumuyi is a living testimony of the faithfulness of God to anyone who devotes his life and time to seek and serve God; a testimony which provides the inspiration and foundation for this book.