A former pastor with the Deeper Christian Life Ministry has made startling allegations of systemic wrongdoing and frustration within the church's hierarchy, forcing his eventual exit. Pastor Dr Great Olalekan Martins, now the founder of Word and Life Christian Ministries, detailed a series of grievances in a social media post, accusing certain overseers of acting against him and sinning against God.
Allegations of Financial Injustice and a Suspicious Robbery
Pastor Great's account begins with a specific financial grievance. He stated that a pastor in the Kabba region of the church deducted an unspecified amount from his N25,000 monthly salary. This action, he claims, was taken directly against the instruction of the church's founder and General Superintendent, Pastor William Kumuyi. He contrasted this with the alleged N300,000 monthly earnings and other remunerations of the pastor who made the deduction, attributing the act to "sheer greediness and wickedness."
Further escalating the situation, Pastor Great alleged that a bookshop he was managing for the church was robbed overnight. He did not mince words, directly accusing the Kabba regional overseer of being behind the theft. These two incidents form the core of his personal ordeal, which he describes as being wronged "beyond his imagination."
A Frustrating Wall of Silence at Headquarters
Perhaps the most damning part of Pastor Great's revelation concerns his attempts to seek redress from the church's leadership. He lamented what he called a poor communication and complaint system at the headquarters in Lagos. His efforts to report the issues to Pastor Kumuyi himself were repeatedly thwarted.
He explained that he visited the official Deeper Christian Life Ministry website to find contact details. To his surprise, the listed phone number (+2348158191111) was inactive. He also sent a detailed SOS complaint letter to the provided email address, which was never acknowledged or responded to. This led him to a bold conclusion: "It means both phone number and the email address on Deeper Life website are fake!"
Pastor Great suggested this was a deliberate systemic block rather than an oversight, orchestrated by individuals without Pastor Kumuyi's knowledge. "If we don't want people to reach out to us, no problem," he wrote, "but why do we write 'contact us', and the medium provided is continuously inactive?"
Mixed Reactions and a Call for Caution
The public sharing of these allegations has stirred reactions online. While some express sympathy, others have cautioned Pastor Great. One respondent, Evangelist Emmanuel Igang, advised him to avoid bitterness and focus on his walk with God, warning that attempting to "pull down Men because of offences" could make him an unwitting instrument for negative forces. Another commenter, Ejima Anthony, noted that the accused parties would have their own side of the story and cautioned against generalizing the actions of a few to all overseers.
In a related context, Pastor Great's claims add to previous narratives from former members about internal practices. He has previously spoken about the monthly salary he received while serving. The church, under Pastor Kumuyi, is also known for its strict doctrinal stands, such as not celebrating Christmas.
Legit.ng has reached out to Pastor Great for further comment on his claims, and he has promised a proper response. His Facebook post concludes with "To be continued...," indicating that more revelations may be forthcoming. This story highlights ongoing discussions about accountability, transparency, and internal conflict resolution within large religious institutions in Nigeria.
