LAGOS, Nigeria — In a deeply emotional address during the Global Workers’ Conference at the Deeper Life International Conference Centre, the General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi, reflected on the death of his first wife, Abiodun Kumuyi, describing how he holds himself partially accountable for her passing.
The renowned holiness preacher recalled that Abiodun died on April 11, 2009, at the age of 57, following a brief illness.
He was away ministering at a church retreat when the news reached him.
“I was preaching here on Saturday, 11th April 2009, and the devil worked on my absence,” Kumuyi recounted.
“My wife was at home because she had a challenge… I did not remember to close the spiritual door that nobody will sneak into that place. When I finished the Faith Clinic that morning, I received a message that my beloved wife was gone.”
Pastor Kumuyi said he rushed back home, known as IBTC, only to meet her already gone. Despite the shock and pain, he said he was immediately assured by the Lord to let go.
“I saw it had happened, and I met some people there; they were praying, and the Lord assured me that I should let it go, let that go, don’t bother about it.”
Rather than allow grief to consume him, Kumuyi turned his personal tragedy into spiritual resolve, describing the next phase of his ministry as a “revenge” against the devil.
“Since that time, for me to revenge on the devil, I have gone to many places… covered most of the local governments in Nigeria, almost all the nations of Africa, all the continents of the world… Blind eyes have opened, deaf ears have opened, the lame have risen up and walked—and now I am getting to another level: the dead has now been raised.”
He urged his listeners to adopt a posture of spiritual authority and resilience.
“Those that have gone have gone, water under the bridge that has gone is gone. All that has gone has gone. Now in your family, you will be in charge. Anywhere I go now, I will be in charge. Nothing will be allowed to steal anything away.”
Pastor Kumuyi and Abiodun were married for 28 years before her passing.
The couple had two sons—Jeremiah and John. A year after her death, Kumuyi remarried on October 13, 2010, in London.
