The General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor W.F. Kumuyi, has declared that none of his biological children will succeed him as leader of the church, emphasising that the ministry belongs solely to Jesus Christ.
According to The Punch, Kumuyi made the remark during a church service while reacting to speculations making the rounds on Wednesday that he might eventually hand over the leadership of the ministry to one of his sons.
Addressing the rumours, the veteran cleric said some people had wondered whether he would choose one of his children to take over the church after his time in office.
He stressed, however, that the church is not a personal possession but the body of Christ, and therefore leadership succession must be guided by God’s will rather than family ties.
“Many people were speculating, is he going to hand over the church unto his son? Won’t he search for his first son, second son, where are they? Where do they live? Is he not going to hand over the church?” Kumuyi said.
Rejecting the idea of family succession, he insisted that no individual has the authority to transfer ownership of the church to relatives.
“Well, it’s not his church. And because it’s not his church, Jesus said, upon this rock, I will build my church… It’s the church of the Lord Jesus Christ and nobody has right to hand it over to his son,” he added.
Kumuyi also referenced notable biblical figures such as Peter, Paul and John, noting that none of them passed church leadership to their children.
“Peter did not hand over the church to his son. Paul did not have any son or wife, but Paul did not hand over the church to his son. And John did not hand over the church to his son,” he stated.
