…As Word Bible Church marks 25th anniversary

From Wole Balogun

Special Adviser to President Muhammad Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, has assured Nigerians, that the economy, which is healing, would soon bring succour to them.

Adesina, who reminded the citizenry that the country had actually been in a recession, but now out of it, assured that very soon the average Nigerian would smile, saying: “With God on our side, we shall reach our Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

The president’s aide gave the assurance recently in Lagos during the 25th anniversary of The Word Bible Church held at the church’s international headquarters at Ajelogo, in Ketu.

The milestone event was presided by the Ekiti State-born General Overseer of the church, Prophet Julius Babatunde Kumoluyi, who invited Adesina to grace the occasion as a friend of the church.

In his goodwill address to the church, and by extension to Nigerians, Adesina, whose letter was read to the congregation, explained that his preoccupation with President Buhari’s tight schedules had prevented him from personally attending the event.

He, however, assured the church of his love, support and recognition of her headship.

“Your church is led by a man of God, known for his humility, integrity, prayer life, and prophecies. Prophet Kumoluyi is among those that we can vouch for his love for God, commitment to the flock he leads, and passion for soul winning. You are lucky to have a rare gem as your shepherd in this organisation.

“Looking back, the past 25 years have been filled with victories and challenges, but through it all, God has remained faithful. He has brought The Word Bible Church so far, and if the Lord tarries, the church shall continue to grow from strength to strength,” “ Adesina said.

Felicitating further with the church, he added: “In another 25 years, it will be golden jubilee of the church. God will preserve His people to mark that worthy milestone. The Lord will keep His people alive, in sound minds and strong health. We shall still continue to rejoice in the God of our salvation. Amen.”

Assuring that better days are ahead with President Buhari in the saddle, Adesina said: “As Special Adviser to President Muhammad Buhari on Media and Publicity, permit me to thank you for the fervent prayers you made, when our President had health challenges. We have seen the hand of God, and our President has recovered well. Truly, ‘the fervent prayers of the righteous availeth much.’

“Going forward, I want to assure you of the commitment of the President to a Nigeria in which the ordinary man is touched by the economy positively. Recession has come, and by the grace of God, it has also gone. Very soon, the average man will begin to feel the impact of the economy on his life. With God on our side, we shall reach our Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey. Amen.”

Royal fathers who are also friends of the church as well as many dignitaries from far and near equally poured encomiums on the cleric as they appreciated God’s faithfulness, mercy and grace on his life.

Oba Fasiku Adewunmi Ajibade, Elekole of Ikole-Ekiti, and paramount ruler of Egbe Oba kingdom, in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State, said: “I feel happy and great because it is a thing of joy for me. We were together and living close to each other in Lagos when he started this ministry 25 years ago.”

“I appreciate the mercy of God on his life and also appreciate how God has used him for me in certain major achievements in my life through his prayers. I also appreciate his wife, Prophetess Kumoluyi for supporting her husband and ensuring that she filled the gap whenever Prophet Kumoluyi was away doing God’s work. He has received the grace and mercy of God and he must remain in God truly and continue to preach true words of God.”

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Oba Olagbade Ojo, Elemuje of Emuje kingdom in Ifedore Local government area of Ondo State, who said he could pass for a kinsman of Prophet Kumoluyi said: “My place is just three kilometres from Pastor Kumoluyi’s place and that makes us kinsmen. He is a true prophet and he stunned me with all his prophecies for me, which came to pass. I urge all members of the church to always listen to the man of God.”

A friend of the church and first Executive Chairman of Kosofe Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Lagos, Mrs. Yetunde Arobieke, said: “Pastor Kumoluyi is my father in the Lord. I have known him for about 17 years. He is a true man of God.

There are so many men of God around, fooling people and parading themselves as such but Prophet Kumoluyi has succeeded in distinguishing himself by living right and practising what he preaches. He is a prophet of God who speaks the mind of God. He has spoken several prophecies and words of knowledge to me and they have come to manifestation. So, I can attest that he ranks among the men of God that should be respected in all ramifications.

“The Word Bible Church is a church where true words of God are being preached. I want to urge all members of the church to appreciate the fact that Pastor Kumoluyi’s calling is of tremendous importance to their life.

To the pastor, I urge him to continue to be focused and continue to lead in God’s way. I wish him success all the time and pray that he will end well.”

Bamidele Ayanlowo, a medical doctor and General Overseer of Divine Life Ministries, (aka Holy Ghost Assembly), Shagamu, Ogun State, who preached a sermon entitled: “Recipe for long life and work of God” at the event, said he was drawn to Pastor Kumoluyi because he watched him preach God’s undiluted words in a television broadcast.

Delving into the topic of his sermon, he said: “There is this widely held view and fear about death. That nobody knows the day of his death and that anyone could die anytime. But that is an uncertainty that we children of God should not accept. From the word of God, we don’t see that happening with those who walked with God. God has a covenant with His people, which He wants to respect and keep. He doesn’t just want them to die suddenly. He wants to communicate with us. You would find that for those who have been walking with God, He gives them premonition and even instructions, and opportunity for them to prepare before the time comes.”

Ayanlowo listed the recipe for long life: walking closely with God, repentance from dead works, especially sexual sins, reading and applying God’s words to everyday life, using the tongue rightly, eating right, rejoicing in the Lord no matter the situation, not allowing the difficulties of life to weigh you down and relating well with all people, loving everyone and respecting men of God and obeying rules of practical healthy living, among others.

Another long time friend of the church, Mrs. Clara Adenike Laitan, an estate surveyor and staff of the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, in her remarks said: “I have known Pastor Kumoluyi for the past 21 years. He is a true man of God, whom God has endowed with His words and the power of the Holy Spirit. And if you are passing through any difficulty, he has the knowledge of God and the wherewithal to encourage you to surmount those times.”

While Pastor Timothy Ojo testified to God’s mercy in making him a father after 21 years of waiting and also healing him through the power of God in Kumoluyi from a sickness that rendered him an imbecile, Olori Deborah Balogun, wife of the traditional ruler of Kosofe kingdom, Oba Isiaka Akintunde Balogun, chief host of the church in Ketu, said: “I have known Pastor Kumoluyi since he was my choir master at the CAC Church of late Pastor Timothy Obadare. He is a true prophet of God and I pray that on this day of the 25th anniversary of his ministry, he would continue to be strong in the Lord and he wouldn’t fall. I also pray for his wife, may the Lord continue to bless her as she continues to wax stronger in the Lord.

Congratulating her husband on the 25th anniversary, Mrs. Funmi Kumoluyi, said: “I feel happy and grateful to God on a day like this. It is God’s doing. God is faithful in promises. It has not been easy but God has been seeing us through, so we give him all the glory.

“We have witnessed many challenges but because we have Jesus Christ. We know that in this world, we will face many challenges but all these that we encounter in this. Journey is making us stronger.

I rejoice with my husband, he should continue to be prayerful, thankful and faithful obedient to God. In spite of the challenges, he should look up to Jesus Christ who is the author and finisher of our faith, “ she said.

Commenting on the journey of 25 years as a man of God, Kumoluyi said: “It gladdens my heart to witness this milestone. 25 years in the ministry is not a joke. It is not very easy but God in His infinite mercy has made it easy for me. I have seen so many storms and challenges here and there but I was able to triumph, may be it was because of my commitment, I don’t know but this is what we call mercy of God, favour of God because there are many people who are holier than me and can work assiduously in God’s vineyard more than me. But we thank God that I am alive today to witness this glorious occasion. So, to me it is mercy and grace of God.

“There was a time people were leaving the church, and they were people I never thought could think of leaving. I almost got discouraged but when I asked God, he said He was the one sanitizing the church. Those who left then were very close to me and they were people I relied on to take over the ministry should I be called home any time. But glory be to God, in no time he replaced everyone who left with even more people.”