The General Superintendent of Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor Williams Kumuyi, has stirred controversy over his stance on ushers of the church insisting that that ladies coming to church with uncovered hair must cover their heads.
Kumuyi is said to have made the telling remarks in a sermon shared on the Facebook wall of the Ekiti State Deeper Life Church monitored by Church Times.
The church, known for its puritan lifestyle, has being at the centre of disagreements in the Christian community as some viewed its “holiness” stance as been in the extreme.
The GS was quoted as saying, “Somebody is coming to our church for the first time. And she happens to be a lady not covering her head. We ask the person to cover her head before coming in. We don’t know whether the person does not even know God. We confront her out there before she even enters the church. We don’t know if she does not know how to pray or prophesy. But we impose rules on her.
“If I were the person, I would wonder what kind of church is this? If they treat me like a primary school girl, that will be my last time coming to the church.”
Reacting to the development, some netziens frowned at what they consider his volte face after having led “many astray and destroyed lives.”
A digital creator based in the United States, Uduak Etuk, on her Facebook page wrote, “This man has ensured a DIFFICULT life for millions of people over at least 2 generations. We are talking about colonial masters, this is one. The pain and abject poverty his words ensured people suffer and cling to is similar to concentration camps. The wickedness and lack of empathy he designed and implemented, is so ingrained in these people and persistent. Now, he’s telling them they don’t need to cover their hair. This is after he has allowed TV and Movies.
“How someone dedicated their life to just making LIVING HARD is amazing. We have our own homegrown wickedness, and they are called ‘father.’”
For Headliner Omolola, a media executive, it was an opportunity to recount her experience in the church.
“Can someone tell the pastor that’s not their first time. I was embarrassed 28years ago when I went for a wedding in that church. They even asked me to clean my lipstick and gave me handkerchief to cover my head. That was my last time too,” Omolola wrote.
Also, Jummai GI Jumebson on Facebook stated that, “Growing up, we used to know deeper life sisters by the length of their dress, (e must sweep ground, skirt or gown!), The length of their sleeves, (e must reach wrist!), And the neck of their dresses must be “turtle-neck” or button-up. Sisters must tie scarf wey no go let any hair show. Television must not dey for house, make-up na hell fire straight, attachment or any hair extensions apart from plaiting thread, na mammy water hair you carry, nail polish na mammy water blood, therefore the wearer na mammy water!!! Anything outside of these, na hell fire straight !!! We hear and witness orishirishi for Zaria that year!”
But Emmanuel Chigozie Nwachukwu disagrees as according to him, the report “is distorted, I listened to the message live. Those who are spiritually alive understood the message. Let’s not make it a subject for mockery.”
