You were in Deeper Life and The Redeemed churches. At what point did you decide to open your own and why?

That’s what you call memory lane. I was in Deeper Life for five years, between 1978 and December 1983. Brother Kumuyi was and is still a great teacher of the Word. The person that put the fear of God in me was Brother Kumuyi. He laid the foundation for systematic teaching that many people see me do today. However, I rose through the ranks. I preached while I was there and conducted youth meetings. I was doing some legal works for the ministry also. I registered some of their companies. But one day, while I was ministering and a brother was interpreting, I was giving example of the “faith cometh by hearing and hearing the word of God” and I said, ‘Supposing you go to a supermarket to buy soap, you might not know what soap to buy but because you watched the advertisement of Joy soap on television, then you would look for Joy soap because you have been hearing about it.’ And my interpreter said: “If you have been watching the devil’s box…” I told him I didn’t say devil’s box but television, and he repeated saying the devil’s box and Brother Kumuyi was behind us. I said I didn’t say devil’s box and that the normal interpretation is amu ohun mu aworan, (the box that captures both the voice and the visuals). Anyway, he still said what he said. The following Sunday, Brother Kumuyi came up with what he called “Sunday Exaltation”; he said that even if you repair television, you are a child of the devil. Then I took my Bible and left. I went home and said I would serve my God, but was not interested anymore in church.

So I returned to Surulere Baptist Church. And one day, my photographer came to me and said I should not just sit like that and that I should come and join his church because I would enjoy it. I asked, ‘What is the name of your church’ and he said The Redeemed Christian Church of God. I said okay and that I would come one day since I was not interested at that moment. The first Sunday of March, 1984, I invited my wife and said we should go (we were not married then). I borrowed a car because I had no car then. We drove to that church and I discovered I had been to that church before. That was the place Deeper Life was doing their Bible study in 1978. Then there was this gentleman who walked up, they called him G.O. He is still G.O. today, but they call him Daddy G.O. He was the one who preached that day and the message was titled: “The Mercy of God.” I said this seems better than the background of what seems I was coming from, because, in fairness to Brother Kumuyi, he himself eventually went on television. He must have changed his mind, because that time he was very hard on such things. By the way, looking back today, there is a lot of evil on television. It is not the television that is the devil’s box, it is the programmes that people put on it. So you can choose what you watch.

atlwireles:
Deeper life was a mad house in 80s, see their members giving away property back then Kumuyi has unknowingly made some people tragically poor.

cyril10:


All of you, including the man that is running his mouth here and there will get to know better when the time comes.

atlwireles:
Deeper life was a mad house in 80s, see their members giving away property back then Kumuyi has unknowingly made some people tragically poor.

stinggy:

You can say that again.
I remember a long-term tenant of ours back then. The man made headways very early in his biz. But the moment he started buying into Deeper Life's teachings and giving away properties, his biz took a nosedive.
The last time I went home, he's still our tenant; 25+ years later.

atlwireles:
Deeper life was a mad house in 80s, see their members giving away property back then Kumuyi has unknowingly made some people tragically poor.

akoaki:


And he and other pastors are still making nigerians poor by promoting ignorance, laziness and greed in the society; and by colluding with politicians to pauperize the citizenry. I am sure there will be consequences someday.

Firefire:
Happy to be a member of Deeper Christian Life Ministry, 1991 - 1998.

A wonderful DAY I met the Lord February 1992.

God bless Daddy Kumuyi for the wonderful teachings of faith.

We now practice another type of faith/doctrine where we understand the world to be "wickedly wicked and badly bad"

alotofgrace:


Is dat so?

What are u doing with a tech device?

Firefire:


Dan 12:4 "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased".

raayah:
Funny how this life changes. I also grew up deeply in deeper life. I remember them telling us to stop using body spray or roll-on . Television was the devils box. Today, deeper life has its own channel.

I remember one brother who quit his job in shell for church. He still broke as hell today.

What happened?

sunshine1974:
I remember attending service one time in deeper life, I was dressed on jean and a very sweet white trainers of mine, as soon as I entered it was as if d devil just entered, see d kind eyes wen look me. Dat was d most boring service ever in my life, no jazz, all I was hearing was some old women singing off key and only piano. Choi! I was like if na like dis heaven be mennnnnnn!

Firefire:


Your experience is relevant in DLBC settings, those days.

I remembered a particular year I travelled outside for the first time, I was wearing my normal shirt & trouser properly tucked-in, when the cold wan kill me, nobody send me, I run enter one store bought two pair of jeans, I wore both trousers jean to keep warm. ...blessed is the servant that applied wisdom.

atlwireles:

raayah:
Funny how this life changes. I also grew up deeply in deeper life. I remember them telling us to stop using body spray or roll-on . Television was the devils box. Today, deeper life has its own channel.

I remember one brother who quit his job in shell for church. He still broke as hell today.

What happened?

tomakint:
I still remembered when I worshipped in DeeperLife in the late 90s - mid 2000s, it was 'Holiness unto the Lord.....' I will never forget the good times with the Lord @ the Retreat Ground in Ayobo, with the popular theme song.....'Jesus only, is our Message; Jesus all, is all we see.....@Firefire, do you still remember? Pastor Kumuyi is a true teacher of the word. Humans are damn too complex to be bound by 'doctrines and dogma' team#Let God be God and man be man#

The following Sunday, Brother Kumuyi came up with what he called “Sunday Exaltation”; he said that even if you repair television, you are a child of the devil. Then I took my Bible and left. I went home and said I would serve my God, but was not interested anymore in church.