General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor William Kumuyi, has told members that the decision on who will succeed him rests solely with God, not the congregation.
Speaking during a Bible study session later posted online, the 83-year-old preacher cautioned against what he described as subtle agitations over his succession, saying no one has the authority to push him out of leadership.
“Are you tired of me?” Kumuyi asked the congregation, drawing a resounding “Nooo” in response.
He criticised comments made by an unnamed young preacher in the church who, during a teaching the previous week, repeatedly stated that “there is no leadership without a successor.”
Pastor Kumuyi said, “The brother who taught the other Tuesday kept saying there is no leadership without a successor. He said it twice. I felt that was too much, more so since your father is still here. God will give a successor at His own time.”
The cleric stressed that leadership in the church is a divine appointment, not a matter for members to dictate.
“You are not going to fight your shepherd, your pilot. I reject any member of the church, whether you are a worker, choir member, or security person, who tries to control me. I won’t even take that from my wife because I am the head of the home… I stand where I stand and nobody will put me under pressure,” he stated.
Pastor Kumuyi also warned that any attempt to undermine his leadership would only strengthen his resolve.
“Don’t try to kill my conviction. It will only make me resist you so that when you get to the other side, you won’t say I did not tell you. I will keep on telling you that under your resistance until I go,” he said.
He noted that while he has given many capable ministers opportunities to preach, the appointment of his successor “is in the hands of God.”
Pastor Kumuyi added, “If God gives you a pastor that is still very active at this age, with a good voice running everywhere to preach the gospel, and you are asking for a successor, it makes me think you are tired of seeing me around. You don’t want to make me feel I’m imposing myself on you.”
Acknowledging that leadership change is inevitable, Pastor Kumuyi said that it will happen only in God’s time.
“When the time comes, God will choose a man after His own heart. Don’t try to drive me away, even though I know you cannot,” he concluded.