₦airaland Forum

The governors of Imo, Rivers and Edo states, Rochas Okorocha, Rotimi Amaechi and Adams Oshiomhole respectively yesterday shunned the South-South and South-East governors’ meeting held in Enugu.

Though Governor Peter Obi who briefed newsmen after the meeting tried to shield the kernel of their discussion, Daily Sun reliably gathered that the meeting was to begin series of meetings scheduled for the two zones in the South-East to drum up support for Jonathan’s 2015 presidential ambition.

The meeting, held in the Enugu Government House for several hours, was ahead of another meeting to include all stakeholders from the two zones in the next two weeks.

The main agenda of the meeting, which was to mobilise support for Jonathan ahead of 2015 presidential election, a source told Daily Sun, informed the decision of Okorocha (Imo); Oshiomhle (Edo) and Amaechi (Rivers), who were believed to have strong links with the All Progressives Congress (APC), to shun the parley.

In a terse statement after the meeting, Governor Obi who spoke on behalf of the governors present said: “We considered how the two zones will work together economically in the area of infrastructure.

“Akwa Ibom and Abia states have reached an understanding with private sector to reconstruct and dualise the bad Ikot Ekpene-Aba Road to improve the corridor of both states.

“We discussed the issue of oil theft and how to curb the theft. We discussed issue of ethnic harmony between the zones and how to promote it.

“Finally, we commend the president for the various programmes as shown in the mid-term report which clearly shows that the transformation agenda is on course and we pledge to continue supporting him.”

Other governors who attended the Enugu meeting included the host, Mr. Sullivan Chime; Chief Martin Elechi (Ebonyi); Chief Theodore Orji (Abia); Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta); Chief Liyel Imoke (Cross River); Chief Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom) and Sierike Dickson (Bayelsa).

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/cover/2015-okorocha-amaechi-oshiomhole-shun-seast-ssouth-govs-meeting/

Pygru: none of ya business but you created the topic

Haba pygru you should understand my point now, this is about 'how they conduct their wedding as adults' and the 'stand of the church on Marriage' which should not be a big deal of course, the topic is subject to healthy debates but that's just my personal opinion though!

Havila28: ^^^ I'm sure John and Love only apologised for apperances sake. The fact that they conducted their wedding with such glamour shows they don't believe in the hypocrisy that most deeperlife members hold so dear.

Whether the apologies was a 'pretended one' or not I am less concerned but for the mere fact that they publicly apologized make them to me reasonable! Of course, there were rules guiding the principle of marriage in DeeperLife that they flagrantly violated which they based their apologies on! I don't want to be a judge in a case that is none of my business here. My point!

The General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor W.F Kumuyi, has always been known as the father of Jerry and John, two sons born to him by his wife, Abiodun, who sadly passed away a couple of years ago. The two young boys were quite unobtrusive in the church, and did not enjoy the privileges of the ‘sons of the pastor,’ as would have been the case in other places.

They sang in the children choir, later graduated into the youth choir, and were quite active there till they went abroad in search of the golden fleece. They came into their own, became professionals, and have been living in the United States of America for some time. Though not a member of the Deeper Life Bible Church in the strict sense of the word, I am fairly close to the ministry. I also know Pastor Kumuyi fairly well, since that time I first interviewed him as Features Editor of National Concord in 1996. Two pastors with the church, Segun Babatope and Eluem Emeka Izeze, are media top shots, and have always facilitated my meetings with Kumuyi.

When Abiodun was buried in April 2009, I was at the funeral service in the sprawling campground of the church in Ayobo, Lagos. I still clearly remember the tribute paid by the senior son, Jerry, to his departed mum. If there was a staid, sober family, groomed in the finest traditions of Christian puritanism, it was the Kumuyis.

A number of times, I had privately wondered how Jerry and John coped with life in ‘godless’ America, and also asked myself whether they would become preachers like their dad, a great apostle of holiness, if ever there was one. Jerry and John kept their low profile, inconspicuous lifestyle, and were great ambassadors of the church, and of their father, at least till June 15 this year, when the younger son decided to take a wife.

Yes, young men must marry, nothing incompatible with holiness in that, or is there? In getting married, Christians are urged not to be “unduly yoked together.” It simply means they should not go for someone that does not share their faith. John Kumuyi did not rebel against the heavenly vision.

He went for Love Odih, daughter of a thoroughbred, dyed-in- the- wool Deeper Life member and pastor. Her father had been State Overseer in Cross River State, and is now National Overseer of the church in Jamaica. Iron was surely set to sharpen iron, “ just as a friend sharpens the countenance of his friend.” The deed was done in Jamaica on June 15, but rather than be the quiet, solemn, subdued ceremony that the Deeper Life Church is known for, it has thrown up a whiff of controversy, leading to the suspension of Mr and Mrs Kumuyi as workers in the church.

At a time they should be savoring the conjugal bliss of marital life, they now have to worry about this fatwa of some sort, this Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads.

What were the ‘sins’ of the young Kumuyis? You know how Deeper Life conducts its weddings. No frills, no pomp, no ceremony. “Let your moderation be known to all men, the Lord is at hand.” No fitted, flowing wedding gowns, no bouquet of flowers, no wedding cake, no long bridal train, and nothing of the kind of wedding gown in which you see the breasts of the bride threatening to pop out and hit the officiating pastor in the face.

Not in Deeper Life. Never. Not when the Lord is at hand. And of course, no permed hair, no make- ups, no jewelry of any sort. That has been the tradition since Kumuyi started the church in the 1970s. And you didn’t think it was his son that was going to remove the ancient landmarks, no matter how long he had lived abroad. But see Love Odih in Jamaica on June 15. She pulled out all the stops, broke all the rules, and almost set the church on fire round the globe.

The new Mrs Kumuyi stepped out in a fitted wedding gown, with see through short sleeves, carried a bouquet of flowers, wore jewelry, and her face was made up.

Her relaxed hair was even partially uncovered in church. Pastor Kumuyi and his new wife, Esther, were there in their puritanical estate. Did they develop apoplexy on seeing the bride? Were they pleading the ‘blood of Jesus’ and asking for mercy? Did they feel like crawling under a table to hide? Well, the wedding held, and each went to his home. But the story did not end there. A mighty controversy broke out in Deeper Life Church, threatening to overshadow decades of holiness preaching by Kumuyi.

The wedding pictures hit the Internet, and it generated debates almost worldwide. Are there two sets of rules in Deeper Life, one for the members, and another for the ‘first family?’ If it had been the children of ‘lesser’ people, would they not have been sanctioned for flouting the practices of the church?

Will this rebellion go unpunished? Will Pastor Kumuyi bend the rules because his son was involved? When I first saw the wedding pictures online, I felt it was computer manipulation. No, this would not be the wedding of Kumuyi’s son, when the world had not yet ended, I told myself. But it turned out real. It was John and his bride, and no mistake.

Well, I am an old school Christian. I believe the old school is the real school. I subscribe to old time religion, it’s good enough for me. But I by no means condemn the new generation believers, as long as they hold on to the essentials of the faith- salvation through the shed blood of Jesus, holiness, righteousness and purity of life, heaven, hell, judgment- and so on. In essentials, unity, in non-essentials, liberty. For me, certain things constitute non-essentials to getting to heaven.

How you did your hair, or decided not to do it, how you painted your face, or decided not to paint it, how you carried your bouquet of flowers, or decided not to carry it, how long or short the sleeves of your dress was, and so on. But there is Christian moderation and modesty. If your heart had been truly circumcised through the new birth, there were certain things that would be unseemly, and naturally offensive to you. The word of God becomes a lamp to your feet, and a light to your path, and you want to obey implicitly. So I don’t split hairs over what anybody wears or doesn’t wear. If something has happened in your heart, it manifests on the outward. Simple. You can’t run with the hares and hunt with the hounds.

But this piece is not about me, it is about John Kumuyi and his bride, so let’s return to them. These are my concerns and posers, without necessarily condemning the newlyweds. Did they forget the children of whom they were?

Did they forget that the eyes of the world would be on them? Did they do right? Did they do wrong? Let’s check two scriptural passages germane to the issue at hand. Proverbs 22:28.”Remove not the ancient landmarks, which thy fathers have set.” 1 Peter 3, 3 and 4:”Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; “But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”

Kumuyi has preached the above with fervency all his life. He even weeps on the altar at times when he talks of how the modern church has watered down the word of God. Being members of Deeper Life Church, did John and Love do well to have attempted to remove the ancient landmarks accepted as fundamental by the church? You answer. Again, the church is known for not using adornment of any kind.

Was Love, daughter of a National Overseer right to have broken ranks, while she remained a member of the church? Did she commit a sin, or did she not? You answer. Yet again. Did Love wear the jewelry and make up her face only on wedding day? Did her father not know long before now that she wore jewelry? This time, let the father of the bride answer.

And did John not know that the outward appearance of his bride would cause ruckus in the church, and as son of the General Superintendent, it might not be expedient? John, please answer. But if Love was the one John loved, and she is truly regenerated, loves the Lord, but is not convinced that using adornment is a sin, should Kumuyi’s son not have followed his heart? If he had married someone who conformed in terms of external appearance, but was worse than the Devil inwardly, would that have been wise?

You answer. Questions, and more questions. Was the church right in suspending the new couple? Will Love now discard her earrings and pomade before being restored to membership? What if she does not, will she go to hell? What if John asks her to now conform, and she says no, does he then put her away?

We know there is no room for divorce in Christian marriage, “ For I hate putting away, says the Lord.” So, does he carry the cross of a disobedient wife for life? Or does he live with the guilty conscience of having repudiated what his father preached for decades? Or do they move to another church that does not frown at adornments and lively dressing?

Should they? Wouldn’t they be further breaking the hearts of their parents, and making them feel like failures? Is there sin in this entire matter? I don’t think so. But I don’t have the final say, God does. But is there disobedience, and some form of rebellion? I think there is. And “ rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” 1 Samuel 15:23.

After their suspension was announced last weekend by the church, a letter of apology written by John and Love was equally read, in which they said they did not willfully break the rules of the church, and that their action was informed by the fact that they had lived abroad for some time, and were distracted by the cultural differences. Does this mean that there is a God for those who live in Nigeria, and another for those who live in other parts of the world? And does that God have different instructions for conduct, depending on the part of the world you lived in? I don’t understand.

Somebody help me. Now that the young Kumuyis have apologized, should they be forgiven? Some people say yes, others say no. To err is human, to forgive divine. But did they err in the first place? Yes, in the context of the church to which they belonged, they erred. But did they sin? You answer. I only know that the Good Book says “ he that knows what is right to do, and does not do it, to him it is a sin.” But then, what is right in this circumstance? Oh, these questions will not stop.

I have always wondered what will happen to Deeper Life after Kumuyi. I put the question to him one time in an interview. And he told me he would want the church to stay faithful to the holiness message, and to evangelism, after he has gone to his reward. But right before the eyes of the preacher, the goalpost is being shifted, the ancient landmark is being removed by no other than his own beloved son. What does this say of post-Kumuyi era? Or is it time for the church itself to begin to ‘loosen up’ and bend some of its own rules deemed anachronistic by the younger generation? Like I said earlier, I am old school, and it is good enough for me.

But what of those who think we are stuffy and archaic? If this has started happening right in the household of Kumuyi, will the current practices endure after him? Are we having a foretaste of the Deeper Life of the future? Will it be a better church, or will it amount to backsliding? I don’ t know the answer, maybe you do. I’m all ears.
- Femi Adesina

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/columns/the-dust-raised-by-kumuyis-son/

bloggernaija: Silly you.i was at one time or the other a resident of all the region apart from the northwest .
Of recent ,I have visited for 4 out of 6 regions with each visit ,lasting at least one week,5 african countries and 19 non- african countries .i reside in one .i am not affected by the mismanagement going on in nigeria but family members are.

I can definitely assure you that a typical nigerian on a good day is as hospitable as your own family member and their views are in no way similar to those expressed on nairaland.
I can also assure you that I am from the school of aregbesola .
I am a yoruba nationalist , a pragmatic socialist who believe nigeria is still salvageable if the uniqueness and interest of her constituent nations are respected .
I am not an ACN member neither am I from their stables.
I have no time for mediocre people and policies , hence my admiration for fashola and my severe opposition to GEJ.
My joy derives from the fact that serious debates are currently going on in my region.the sort of debates and standards that will ensure that mediocre people , otherwise known as PDP ,will never smell the corridors of power over here again
Also, the SW has started sticking the fingers to oil and Abuja .
For that , I am happy.
NOW TELL ME ,WHAT US YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE DISCUSSION APART FROM THE AD HOMINEM

Be rest assured that two States (Ekiti and Oyo) apart from Ondo may definitely go the way of PDP! It is crystal clear with the way Tinubu is handling the affairs of SW politics, ACN is gradually losing its grip in this region! You can quote me

Tinubu's high-handedness must be checked before it snowballed into full-blown dictatorial tendencies now!

Humans are created with 'fallible instincts' even some Angels in Heaven fell for the schemes of Lucifer which gave birth to the moniker, 'fallen angels' and 'Satan' for Lucifer! We (Humans) are prone to errors, let's not give room for the Devil to destabilize the Church of God! God is watching us! John and Love believed they made a mistake and they have apologized, this is maturity at its PEAK!

Pastor Tunde Bakare, the GO of Latter rain ministries in Lagos is speaking up for the very first time since the controversy surrounding the glamorous wedding ceremony of John Kumuyi, the 2nd son of the Deeper Life Church’s founder, Pastor W.F Kumuyi started.

As we are all aware, the beautiful couple tied the knot in elegance on the 15th of June, 2013 in Jamaica.

The bride allegedly dressed contrary to Deeper Life church’s doctrine that forbids women wearing beautiful wedding dresses, jewelries and makeup on their wedding day.

The doctrine also forbids using wedding flowers and luxuries like renting a Limousine,etc.

In this recent sermon, Pastor Tunde Bakare, a former member of the Deeper Life Church has condemned the church’s doctrine calling it wicked.

He said John Kumuyi and his wife did nothing wrong. He even supported his claim with genuine bible verses.

Hear Pastor Tunde Bakare in his own words below;

“I personally did not see  what they have done wrong. A man is entitled to his own authority in his  own home.1st Peter Chapter 3. A wife should dress to please the husband  and not the members of the church or public. It’s sheer wickedness to the couple, they should leave them to enjoy their honeymoon.

They should not squeeze them to the modus operandi of a particular organization. I  did not see anything wrong in the wedding. The bride was not naked or  dressed inappropriately and  the groom didn’t. Esther the queen was  beautifully dressed in the bible to gain the king’s attention. They  should not make mountain out of a molehill. I was in the Deeper Life  Bible Church for five years and nobody compelled me to dress the way I  dressed. My wife was with me in the church though we weren’t married  then. She wears earrings and dresses nicely. All this talk about this  couple should stop.”

Do you agree with him?

http://naijagists.com/pastor-tunde-bakare-condemns-deeper-life-churchs-doctrine-john-kumuyi-wife-did-nothing-wrong/

akpomeme: Voting is not the problem or electing any of these liars called politicians. The problem is you and I. We are too docile, that is why politicians can take us for granted.

You got my drift!

Seriously, I love the JEWS!

I concur absolutely with my Governor, Mimiko on this one!

[quote author=Itoroetti ]Then if u are not in nigeria,then short ur mouth up and continue to be slave to ur masters over there.boy boy.
U want to stay there and understand how nigeria is been run.[/quote] that boy is being 'paid less' trust me, his frustrations are common knowledge here

thoth: reset us onto the corrupt path ?

A worthy piece and kudos to you oddy4real for that brilliant write-up from you as usual!

May their beautiful souls rest in peace! @ OP you can do better by revealing their handles, that is the wisest thing to do to really HONOUR these lost forumites!

you na never halla

We can see that heart felt concern from you Ma through the laudable initiatives targeted towards youths employment in this country from this Jonathan's government! I pray that in no short distance, many more youths will be taken off the streets to be self-employed! God bless you Ma

Who asked you Alhaji Buhari?

dayokanu: Another senseless post

Ogbomosho G... let's leave the consonant between me and you

It was discovered to be a "Progressive Fight" Bunch of clowns