6th September, 2021
Nigeria’s Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo will be the chairman at the unveiling of the biography of Pastor William Kumuyi, General Superintendent, Deeper Christian Life Ministry on 17 September, 2021.
The biography, “Kumuyi: Defender of the Faith,” was written by a team of authors- Pastor P.O. Oluwi, Banji Ojewale, Segun Babatope, Emeka Izeze, Tunde Opeibi (Ope-Davies), Andrew Umoru, Steve Obidi and Euriel Momah.
At a pre-launch news conference held at the Deeper Life Bible Church headquarters, Gbagada, Lagos on Monday, Chairman, Book Editorial Board, Pastor Philip Oluwi said the public presentation programme of the book would come up on Friday, 17 September, 2021 by 11:00am at Eko Hotels and Suites, in Lagos.
He said the Foreword to the book was written by Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
“The Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, will chair the event. Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State will be the Chief Host,” he disclosed.
Oluwi added that a number of governors, dignitaries, church fathers and church leaders, among other assemblage of friends and admirers of Pastor Kumuyi and the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, were expected to grace the occasion.
“It is important to emphasise that because of the exigencies of the times in which we live, we are hosting a limited number of guests, and physical participation at the event will be strictly by invitation. The cards have already been sent to all our special guests.
“COVID-19 protocols will be strictly enforced and only guests with valid invitation cards will be granted access to the venue,” he said.
Oluwi disclosed that Prof. Dapo Asaju, former Vice Chancellor, Ajayi Crowther University, would be the Guest Speaker at the event, while Distinguished Prof. Ayodeji Olukoju, former Vice Chancellor, Caleb University, would be the Book Reviewer.
He said the book was published in the United Kingdom by Elite Academy Publishers, while assuring everyone that sufficient number of copies of the book would be available.
“Hundreds of thousands of copies have been produced to fully satisfy the market. E-copies are also going on sale on Amazon, Kindle and other platforms. Further details will be provided shortly after the public presentation.
“Without pre-empting the Book Reviewer, I want to assure you all that the book is a must-have for everyone. It provides the world with a rare glimpse of the hitherto untold remarkable stories of this uncommon man of God that time and space has enabled us to compose and narrate.
“It provides a spherical, stirring and spicy narrative of a multifaceted and iconic cleric that many in Nigeria and around the world have always longed to know more closely, but who has always shied away from public acclaim.
“In the course of producing this work, it was discovered that what has helped the General Superintendent to fulfil the Great Commission, that is, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world successfully,is his undiluted dedication to holiness and righteousness in life and work,” Oluwi said.
According to him, the singularly most important lesson which other Ministers and budding servants of God could learn from the life and ministry of Pastor Kumuyi, was the sacred ability to stick to the divine pattern, as the man of God had done for almost 60 years.
“Another significant lesson from the book that readers will find profound is that if God can help this man from a humble background and who was once a near-failure in life to become a first class graduate of Mathematics from the premier university in Nigeria, and went ahead to become a cerebral university don, and now one of the 500 most influential world leaders; one of the most successful worldwide evangelists and apostles of holiness in this age, then God can use anyone that is willing to pay the price,” he said.
On how the book came about, Oluwi explained that sometime in October 2020, “a few of us came together and agreed that it was time to produce a biography to honour this distinguished man of God, and further the gospel work under him, by documenting some of the remarkable, landmark achievements God has provided through him for others to emulate and approximate.
“Our small team set to work immediately and we secured the support of some brethren in our Church who volunteered to promote and sustain the initiative. By November 2020, we flagged off the project and rigorously pursued the dream of producing the first biography of our Leader, Pastor, Teacher, Father, and Mentor. To the glory of God alone, the project has been successfully accomplished, ready for presentation to the world.”
He said the project was not without its apprehension and challenges though, as “having worked with the General Superintendent for more than four decades, some of us were, at first, apprehensive about his reaction to a project that will attract the attention of the world and the media on his personality rather on his Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Ministry of world evangelization for which he was irrevocably committed to relentlessly pursuing,than any other consideration.
“Yet, to the team, it was clear that we were embarking on a project of faith, nay, a project of risk. But because we were convinced that it was a noble and legacy project that must be done, we pressed on doggedly, without first seeking the initial approval of the General Superintendent.We were eventually extremely relieved when he gave his nod to the project.”