Wrong to hand over churches to your son – Pastor Kumuyi on hereditary succession

Popular Nigerian televangelist and founder of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Williams Kumuyi, has stated that no General Overseer has the right to hand over a church to his son.

Kumuyi made the statement while addressing public speculation about which of his sons would be handed the church in his absence.

Speaking in a now-trending video sighted by DAILY POST, Kumuyi, who acknowledged Jesus as the owner of the church, stated: “It’s the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, and nobody has the right to hand it over to his son.”

“Many people are speculating, is he going to hand over the church to any of his sons? They were searching for his first son and his second son, asking where they were. Where do they live? Or is he not going to hand over the church?

“Well, it’s not his church. And because it’s not his church, Jesus said, ‘Upon this rock, I will build my church.’ Jesus said it’s His church and not Peter’s church; it is nobody’s church. It’s the church of the Lord Jesus Christ and nobody has the right to hand it over to his son.

“Peter did not hand over the church to his son, Paul did not have any son or wife, and John did not hand over the church to his son. And all the people that we read about who were standing in the faith and standing for the kingdom of God. And that kingdom of God is not meat and drink; it is righteousness and joy in the Holy Ghost. I’m not about to hand over to any son. The will of the Lord be done in Jesus' name,” Kumuyi stated.

DAILY POST reports that the speculation is coming amid the hereditary succession model adopted by some Nigerian church founders.

“The reason why I will never handover Deeper Life church to any of my biological sons is because the church doesn’t belong to me. It’s Jesus church. Nobody has right to hand it over to his son.”

— Pastor Kumuyi says pic.twitter.com/gK7KaQpqNw

— 𝐀𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐲𝐆𝐑𝐍 (@AsakyGRN) June 10, 2026