Lagos: Popular Nigerian televangelist and founder of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Williams Kumuyi, has stated that no General Overseer has the right to hand over a church to his son. Kumuyi made the statement while addressing public speculation about which of his sons would be handed the church in his absence.
According to Ghana Web, the speculation has been fueled by the hereditary succession model adopted by some Nigerian church founders. In a now-trending video sighted by DAILY POST, Kumuyi emphasized that Jesus is the true owner of the church, declaring, "It's the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, and nobody has the right to hand it over to his son."
Kumuyi further elaborated on the issue by addressing the curiosity surrounding his sons. "Many people are speculating, is he going to hand over the church to any of his sons? They were searching for his first son and his second son, asking where they were. Where do they live? Or is he not going to hand over the church?" he stated.
He reinforced his stance by citing biblical examples, noting, "Peter did not hand over the church to his son, Paul did not have any son or wife, and John did not hand over the church to his son. And all the people that we read about who were standing in the faith and standing for the kingdom of God." Kumuyi concluded with a firm declaration that he would not hand over the church to any son, saying, "The will of the Lord be done in Jesus' name."
The topic of succession has been a point of contention within religious communities, particularly in Nigeria, where some churches have seen leadership roles passed from founders to their children. Kumuyi's remarks underscore a commitment to upholding what he sees as the spiritual integrity of the church by maintaining that it belongs to Jesus, not to any individual or their descendants.