NEWS: Deeper Life new building; Beyond the edifice. Commissioned

Over a decade ago, a church project was initiated at Gbagada, Lagos, Nigeria. The site used to seat a massive ramshackle structure that served as the headquarters of the Deeper Life Bible Church. The new project which is being commissioned this week is worlds apart from the worship centre that gave way for the new building. The leadership of the Church said that the new structure is “for glory and for beauty.” So, on Tuesday, April 24, 2018, all roads will lead to Gbagada for the inauguration of the ultra-modern new headquarters of the Church. On that date, the commissioning of the 35,000- capacity church building constructed by Cappa and D’Alberto Plc will be witnessed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, state governors, captains of industry and other important dignitaries within and outside the country. The edifice is said to have cost the church some trillions of Naira.
For the leadership of the church led by Pastor William Folorunsho Kumuyi, the cost of the building and its splendor are immaterial. What is important is the need to send out the undiluted word of God from that point to all corners of the world. Pastor Kumuyi himself, a man noted for his unwavering commitment to heavenly vision, will seize the opportunity to preach to the gathering. He never misses such an opportunity! Here is a man who, after seeing the corpse of his first wife, ‘Biodun, who had just passed on at the time when the church was having its Easter Retreat at its conference centre on Kilometer 42, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in 2009, still rushed back to the camp to preach his evening message. That evening, he sang his heart out as he led the congregation in a hymn composed by Isaiah G. Martin, “The Eastern Gate” (I will meet you in the morning). As the crowd gather on Tuesday, the cleric will not likely allow the opportunity to slip, but will remind his guests that the edifice is indeed nothing in comparison to the mansions which Christ has gone to prepare for his people. Although some people may be looking at the financial worth of the building and the elaborate commissioning as unnecessary, the church believes that no amount of money spent to win souls that will equate the worth of a soul.

Kumuyi said this much in a statement in the media, announcing the commissioning. “We in Deeper Life Bible Church believe in preaching the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and we hope that the new building will attract people who ordinarily may not think of coming to hear the word of God. And the Bible tells us that one soul is greater in value than all the riches of the world put together. So then, if by putting up the building a soul is saved from the fury of hell fire, we would have achieved God’s goal,” he said. A member of the church who spoke with BDSUNDAY on condition of anonymity said Deeper Life knows the real meaning of church beyond the physical meaning and does not intend to compromise that. “We must get one thing clear; we are not elevating the structure above the souls of men. Never. The scriptures tell us that our bodies are the temple of God, not the physical building. The building we see is an avenue to reach out to people. When we became ‘born again’ we did not care about the structure of the church building. What mattered to us then was the word of God and how to please God. But you find out that over the years a lot of things have changed that to win souls you have to take some practical steps so far such steps are not sinful. Today, people like to worship in well laid cathedrals and not tents. And when you consider the worth of a soul, there is nothing you spend that will be too much to win one soul; that’s why you see our commitment in this regard,” the member said. According to him, “the problem we see in some places is the excessive glorification of church building than souls, and that is very unfortunate. When a church has no budget for reaching out to lost souls but continuously raises money to build and rebuild; that church is in trouble.” Kumuyi explained that “the project is not in any way an advertisement of self or riches. It is served to accelerate the earnest fulfillment of the Great Commission. There are no riches to advertise anyway because the resources came from all strata of membership of the church. Everyone contributed his or her mite. It was a determination to give God the very best.” “When you read through the scriptures you find that tabernacles were huge edifices that evoked the aura of the Almighty. When you read about the nature of the building that King Solomon built for God, it was magnificent and befitting of worship of the Owner of the whole universe,” he said. He also expressed the optimism that the new Gbagada church would experience the power as of old that characterised the church services in the old building. “For those who knew the Old Gbagada church; if God could do all that He did then, I have no doubt that in the new auditorium, there will be the unprecedented move of the power of God. The Lord wants many souls to be saved and made ready for the kingdom of God; there will be healings, deliverances, diverse miracles, revival, restoration of backsliders and lots more. I want to use this opportunity to invite all to join us as we worship God in truth and spirit, in holiness and in righteousness,” Kumuyi said.