William F. Kumuyi, General Overseer of the Deeper Life Bible Church, has ruled out any plan to pass church leadership to his biological sons, dismissing long-standing speculation over succession.
According to TheCable, the 85-year-old cleric addressed the issue during a recent church service, where he responded to questions about whether one of his children could eventually take over the ministry.
He said the church is not a family inheritance and must not be treated as personal property.
“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…?” he said, adding that such assumptions were misplaced.
Kumuyi emphasised that the church belongs to Jesus Christ, citing biblical figures such as Peter, Paul and John, noting that none transferred church leadership to their children.
“Well, it’s not his church… It’s the church of the Lord Jesus Christ and nobody has right to hand it over to his son,” he stated.
He also referenced his late wife, Abiodun Kumuyi, who died in 2009, and confirmed his two children, Jeremiah and John. He remarried in 2010.
The comments come amid renewed public interest in succession planning within major religious organisations in Nigeria.
William F. Kumuyi is the founder of the Deeper Life Bible Church, which has grown into one of Nigeria’s largest evangelical ministries.
