By Job Osazuwa

The International Friendship League (IFL), an outreach arm of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, has described the general superintendent of the church, Pastor Williams Kumuyi, as a dedicated man of God who has impacted many lives through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

At a gathering organised by the body on June 19 in Victoria Island, Lagos, to promote the cleric’s book, titled “Kumuyi: Defender of the Faith,” IFL members and guests lauded Kumuyi for decades’ work of relentlessly expanding the frontiers of the kingdom of God.

The 336-page book, divided into 14 chapters, aptly chronicles the life of Kumuyi and his ministry.

The chairman oo the occasion, Pastor Olubusola Olubanwo, said Nigeria needs more people like Kumuyi who believe that righteousness exalts a nation and have not plunged into partisan politics.

He urged Nigerians, home and abroad, to read the book and emulate the lifestyle of the cleric and called on men of God to be dignified messengers of hope.

According to him, Nigeria was facing some of the most severe challenges in its history, such as insecurity, leading to bloodletting for inexplicable reasons.

He said: “The education sector has been hobbled for months. The cost of living, the price of virtually everything, including food, has been rising. Yet, it is at such a time that we are entering a new political season that we are preparing to elect new leaders. The tendency for people is to become despondent; some might even assume the toga of social critics or worse still seek recourse to self-help, including violent acts. At such a time, what should be the attitude of the Christian?

“We cannot have a better approach than that exhibited by Pastor Kumuyi. His life shows that, at a time like this, a time of social instability and intense political activities, believers, especially servants of God, must not plunge head-on into partisan politics and become doomsday prophets. Instead, they should maintain respectable neutrality and be seen always as dignified messengers of hope and verity.

“The biography on Kumuyi gives us insight into his disposition at a time like this. In his carriage, character, convictions and contribution to the national discourse. We are told that he is not unaware of the politics of the day. He speaks even obtusely on political upheavals. He has intervened boldly on the decline in moral ethics in the society.

“Let me illustrate this with a quote from the book: ‘The story is told of how a former civilian governor invited him to his State House to address his cabinet. The cleric spoke so convincingly and pointedly on corruption in public office that the governor had to lead his cabinet to a serious soul-searching session on the message of the man of God.’

“He prefers to focus always on what would profit the whole society, rather taking sides with any political hue or overheat the society.”

As revealed in the book, Kumuyi does not engage in New Year prophecies, or the political fortune-telling of predicting who would win the next presidential election, for instance.

He added: “The stance of Pastor Kumuyi must be commended to all Christians, especially ministers of God, to speak only if their comments on politics are to please God and raise a citizenry that will be godly and God-fearing and responsible members of the society. Christian leaders must learn from Pastor Kumuyi that a man that is charged by God to care for the temporal and eternal well-being of people must shun partisan politics, keep to the bounds of his calling, so he can remain at his duty post as an arbiter, using the word of God to spread hope to all men.

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“It is on account of all these also that 1 strongly urge you all to use the hallowed message in this book as demonstrated by the life of the man of God, as a massive and effective tool of evangelism and spiritual re-birth and renewal. Read the book and digest its content thoroughly. Purchase thousands of copies and distribute them to every nook and cranny of the country, to Christians and non-Christians alike, to ministers, ministries and denominations.”

Also, one of the guests, the special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, described Kumuyi as one of the few men of God in Nigeria whose apolitical lifestyle should be emulated.

He lauded the cleric for standing out from the crowd, particularly at a time when most men of God in the country take sides on political affairs.

Adesina said Kumuyi doesn’t say what God doesn’t tell him, thereby earning him much respect across religious divides.

According to him, “Whenever he speaks, we can listen, knowing that it is not tainted by prejudices or politics. Whatever he says is what the word of God is saying. It is very rare to hear voices of moderation these days. It is good to still have someone who stands out, and that is Pastor Kumuyi.

“I am very proud of Pastor Kumuyi because he has done well with the ministry God gave him. At every given time in such history as we have it now, there is always a remnant that doesn’t follow the crowd.

He recalled that Kumuyi addressed a press conference recently where he admitted that the nation was going through challenges, but expressed optimism that the nation would overcome and emerge stronger.

He advised Nigerians to get a copy of the book, saying readers would be edified, entertained and educated with the content.

“I want to encourage everyone to read the book and give out many copies as it is good for evangelism,” Adesina said.

He commended the editorial team that handled the book for a clinical and thorough job done.

Also, the national leader, IFL worldwide, Pastor Joshua Alabi, said: “This generation and those coming after would have been denied one of the most valuable benefits of history, if the book we are presenting today had not been published. For those seeking to know God, reading through Pastor Kumuyi’s conversion experience will provide ample guide. For those who want to succeed in their callings, his experiences in the ministry have a lot of inspiration to offer.

“Whatever our status and accomplishment here on earth, we are incomplete without salvation and divine truth in us. This book is not a replacement for the Bible, but rather a pointer it. The personality about which the book is written is not the Saviour, but rather His messenger and purveyor of His salvation message. Pastor Kumuyi, a faithful and dedicated servant of God, has patterned his life after our Lord Jesus Christ, and so his life is worth emulating and his message worth paying heed to.

“I, therefore, invite all our invited guests to obtain and read this life-transforming and enriching biography and let it spur you into action by giving your lives to Christ if you have not already done so. For the believers here today, I admonish you to get on board the train of the promoters of this book. Through it, you can reach many of your friends, colleagues, clients, relations and acquaintances and can profoundly influence their lives.”