Renowned Nigerian cleric and founder of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi, recently shared a deeply personal story that shaped the trajectory of his global evangelical work — the loss of his first wife, Abiodun Kumuyi, in 2009.
Speaking at the Global Workers’ Conference held at the Deeper Life International Conference Centre, the 82-year-old pastor recounted the painful moment his wife of nearly three decades passed away. The message was later shared on the church’s official YouTube channel.
Abiodun Kumuyi, who married the cleric in 1980 and bore him two sons — Jeremiah and John — passed away on April 11, 2009, after a brief illness. She was 57.
In an emotional reflection, Pastor Kumuyi revealed that he was preaching at the time of her death and expressed regret for not being present at home.
“I was preaching here on Saturday, 11th April 2009, and the devil worked on my absence… I did not remember to close the spiritual door,” he said. “When I finished the Faith Clinic that morning, I received a message that my beloved wife was gone.”
Rather than allow grief to consume him, Pastor Kumuyi said he received divine assurance to let go and keep pressing forward.
“The Lord assured me, ‘Let that go, don’t bother about it,’” he shared.
Just over a year later, on October 13, 2010, he remarried — this time to Folashade Blaize in a private ceremony held in London.
Pastor Kumuyi has since transformed his personal loss into spiritual fervor. In what he described as a “revenge on the devil,” he redoubled his evangelical mission through the Global Crusade with Kumuyi (GCK), reaching countless lives across Nigeria, Africa, and other continents.
“Since that time, I’ve gone to many places… blind eyes have opened, deaf ears have opened, the lame have walked. Now, the dead are being raised.”
For Kumuyi, the past is not a dwelling place, but a platform for renewal. His message to others: rise above sorrow and reclaim spiritual authority.
“Those that have gone, have gone. Water under the bridge is gone. Now in your family, you will be in charge,” he declared.
Pastor Kumuyi has continued to be a respected voice in Christian ministry worldwide. Notably, he was the only African cleric invited by President Donald Trump to participate in the Inaugural Prayer and Praise Convocation in Washington, D.C., where he spoke on Christianity’s global impact.
KUMUYI: I WAS PREACHING WHEN MY WIFE DIED
