Pastor William Kumuyi has firmly dismissed rumours regarding a family succession plan, stating that Deeper Life Church belongs to Jesus Christ and cannot be passed down as a family inheritance. The Founder and General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministry made these remarks during a recent church programme, addressing growing speculation about who might succeed him as leader of the Deeper Life Bible Church.
Kumuyi clarified that he will not hand over the church to any of his biological sons, insisting that the ministry belongs to Jesus Christ and not to any individual or family. He noted that some people had been searching for information about his children, believing that he might eventually transfer leadership to a family member. "Many people were speculating, is he going to hand over the church to his son? Some were searching for his first son and searching for his second son, asking where they are and where they live," he said.
The respected cleric emphasized that Deeper Life does not belong to him and therefore cannot be treated as a family inheritance. "You see, he's not going to hand over the church. Well, it's not his church. Jesus said, 'Upon this rock, I will build my church.' Jesus said it is His church. It's not Peter's church. It's nobody's church," Kumuyi declared.
Founded in 1973 as a small Bible study group with just 15 people, the ministry has grown into one of the largest Pentecostal denominations in the world. Kumuyi explained that leadership in Christ's church should never be based on family connections. "It's the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, and nobody has the right to hand it over to his son," he added.
The preacher cited biblical examples, noting that influential early church leaders did not transfer spiritual authority to their biological children. "Peter did not hand over the church to his son. Paul did not hand over the church to his son. John did not hand over the church to his son," he said. Kumuyi urged Christians to focus on advancing God's kingdom rather than becoming preoccupied with personalities or family succession debates.
He reminded believers that the kingdom of God is centred on spiritual values, describing it as "not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost." His comments come at a time when succession planning remains a major topic of discussion in several large churches and religious organisations, particularly as founding leaders grow older and questions arise about who will take over after them.
Reaffirming his position, Kumuyi said he remains committed to whatever direction God chooses for the future leadership of the church. "I was not about to hand that over to any son. The will of the Lord be done in Jesus' name," he concluded.
