•There is much to learn from Kumuyi, Says Sanwo-Olu
• As VP, Govs, others honour Deeper Life General Superintendent
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Friday charged religious leaders to pay their ‘Pentecostal tax,’ which will tell their stories, achievements and life experiences in the Ministry to affect generations.
Prof. Osinbajo gave the charge on Friday at Eko Hotels and Suites in Victoria Island, Lagos during the Public Presentation of the biography of the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi, titled “Kumuyi: Defender of the Faith.”
He said: “Every person, especially those who succeed in their endeavours owe society three forms of tax. The first is Income tax; personal income tax. The second is a Social tax, another name for that is philanthropy; the obligation of the wealthy or simply those who have to give back to society. The third tax is a Civic tax; the obligation of the successful to write their stories and share the histories of the phenomena they have become, in order to instruct, to admonish and to inspire the present and the future.
“But for the successful preacher of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, there is a fourth tax. This is the Pentecost tax; the tasks to tell what you have gone through in ministry and this is a huge responsibility. The saints before us, discharge that responsibility. So we are beneficiaries of the Acts of the Apostles, the stories of the men and women who carry the gospel first to Jerusalem to Judea, to Samaria, and then to the end of the earth. Their stories continue today, and the baton has been handed over to our own generation.
“This Pentecost tax is one that we must all pay, it is one that men and women who preach the gospel must pay. It is not about personal reflections and personal aggrandisement. They owe an obligation and it is that obligation that produced the Book of Acts. So the book, ‘Kumuyi: defender of the faith’ just begins the work of discharging that tax, that obligation to tell the story of the missionary journey.”
Speaking at the event, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who described the book title as apt, noted that there is much to learn from Pastor Kumuyi, whom he described as a Lover of God, humility personified, diligent and epitome of simplicity.
The Governor said there are a lot of things to be learnt by all and generations to come from the personality of the General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry.
He said: “Kumuyi: Defender of the Faith is a very apt way of summing up the life and service of this particular God’s General. He set aside a very promising career in the Ivory Tower and dedicated himself to advancing the gospel and the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, with holiness as the central tenet of his message and ministry. A divinely-orchestrated transition from teaching the world how to solve complex mathematical equations, to teaching the world God’s answers to even weightier questions about faith and love and hope and holiness; answers that are ever timely and relevant; and Biblical solutions that will never go out of fashion.
“In the process, Pastor Kumuyi also established a Ministry and a Church that have grown from very humble beginnings, from a handful of members when it started in 1973, into one of the most formidable and respected spiritual institutions in the world. Today there is no part of the world in which the Deeper Life Bible Church is not represented, a testament to the diligence, perseverance and dedication of Pastor Kumuyi, and very importantly to the abiding grace of God in and on his life.
“When you mention the name William Folorunsho Kumuyi or the Deeper Life Bible Church anywhere, the first thing that comes to mind is holiness, an absolute devotion to living a life that is fully aligned with the precepts and standards of God, an uncompromising commitment to be in the world but not of it, and to place God over and above everything else. That name, that reputation, was not built overnight, it is the product of many decades of humble but energetic laboring, that God has blessed massively and continues to bless.
“Pastor Kumuyi, we thank God for your life, ministry and family, and we know that you still have many more years of service in the Lord’s vineyard. We thank you for permitting the writing and publication of this biography, and for sharing your story with the world. There is much to be learnt from your life, and, for you, there is also much more ahead to be accomplished.”
In his Keynote address, an Anglican Bishop and the immediate past Vice Chancellor of the Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, Rt. Revd (Prof.) Dapo Asaju, who titled his lecture, “Imperative of Integrity, Transparency and Trust in Leadership, Celebrating the leadership of Pastor Kumuyi, the Defender of Faith” charged Christian leaders to rescue Nigeria.
He called on Pastor Kumuyi and the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, to mobilise other religious leaders to hold a conference and meet with President Muhammadu Buhari to find a lasting solution to the insecurity, corruption and economic challenges facing the country.
Prof. Asaju while stressing the importance of the public presentation of the biography of Pastor Kumuyi, said biographies are important because people will learn from the lives of such people, while openness and accountability will help people believe in the government.
The Celebrant, Pastor Kumuyi said God loves everyone, irrespective of religious affiliation and charged people to live a positive life.
He also charged Nigerians, especially Christians to change the world positively and make a mark before they leave the world.
