Genesis of problem
The root cause of the dilemma is traceable to money, money and money. As it is now the norm with Nigerian mega Churches and their diaspora offshoots, the bug of money as basis for disagreement has caught up with Deeper Life. The Church in Nigeria has what it calls the Global Technology Fund which it uses to settle the bills of hosting its global services. The Churches in the diaspora are mandated to contribute to fund this project. Italy couldn’t meet up with its allotted quota which didn’t go down well with the hierarchy in Nigeria. Italy wrote the headquarters through Pastor Niran Seriki to explain the dare financial strait it was grappling with. Dust had hardly settled on this when the Italian Church was slammed with another N15 million (€35,000) bill as its contribution to the “Global Crusade” of the Church. The failure of the Church in Italy to come up with this sum didn’t go well with the hierarchy in Lagos. Soon after, Pastor James Theophilus Akpofure of the United Arab Emirate Church became the chairperson of the “Global Crusade” committee. Among his rites on ascension to the throne was slam a N30 million (€70,000) bill on Italy as its contribution for the purchase of Outside Broadcast, OB, van estimated to cost between €800,000 and €1,000,000. Akpofure was infuriated when Italy couldn’t make the contribution. He asked the Overseer of the Italian Church and Southern Europe, Pastor Olusola Akinyemi pointedly: “why are you like this? UK and USA are not like this.”
Akpofure was told that unlike the Churches in the UK and USA with high earning professionals, memberships of the churches in Italy in contrast, consist of poorly paid factory workers.
The Italian Church under the leadership of Olusola Akinyemi, a PhD holder in engineering from the University of Manchester and another Divinity degree from the University of London, in the last two decades embarked on an aggressive expansion programme of the Deeper Life in Italy. He arrived in Italy from the UK in those early days of the 90s when the Church strived. Through his personal sacrifices and those of the members with the application of creativity, accountability and innovation, he was able to turn the fortune of the Church around. For the past 28 years he has been in charge he hasn’t been paid a salary. Rather than paying exorbitant rents, Akinyemi outlined and began the implementation of a grandiose initiative of outright acquisition of properties with the instrument of mortgages or careful negotiation and agreements with owners. Over these years several of these properties have had their mortgages fully paid while others are still being paid for. Some of these commitments have led to court cases, some penal which Akinyemi and the Church’s hierarchy have been battling. The Church in Nigeria is aware of the challenges faced by Italy and did nothing to assist. All the General Superintendent, GS, of the Church Pastor WF Kumuyi did in 2007 was to direct Akinyemi to sell one of the properties to settle the debts. This was impossible under Italian laws. The courts needed guarantees and undertakings from the Church. Akinyemi travelled to Nigeria to have audience with Kumuyi, for two weeks he was there he couldn’t see the General Superintendent. He went to the UK where Kumuyi presided over a Deeper Life conference, and for four days all attempts to see the GS was frustrated. The only help Italy got came from the Church in the United Kingdom in 2007 and 2013.
Attempts to Diminish Akinyemi’s influence
As Overseer of Southern Europe, the churches in Italy, Spain, Israel, Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, Portugal, Malta among others were directly under Akinyemi’s influence. After Italy was unable to contribute the N30 million (€70,000) for OB van, Akpofure returned to tell Akinyemi that Kumuyi directed him to take Turkey and Israel from under his influence. But when Akpofure saw the reality on the ground in Turkey that there was no money there to be taken he quickly turned to Akinyemi with the message that Kumuyi said Italy should continue to fund Turkey. Akinyemi made it clear that this wasn’t possible for the Church in Italy to continue to borrow money to fund Turkey while Akpofure runs it. Akpofure turned to the UK and USA to take over funding Turkey they too declined citing their own challenges. He had no choice but to return Turkey to Italy. The Pastor in charge in Turkey by then was being owed two months of his allowances. Italy eventually paid these off. While the stalemate lasted not even a phone call was made by Akpofure or the Church hierarchy in Nigeria to edify the distressed Turkey Church. In the case of Israel, Akpofure quickly took and transferred the $5,000 he met in their kitty to Nigeria. He wasn’t bothered about the scheduled conference to edify the brethren there by the Akinyemis for which they had bought flight tickets. All that money wasted. Akpofure and the Church in Nigeria four months on never bothered to offer any support after the cancellation of the conference, claiming he was too busy as Global Committee chairman.
What is glaring as this drama unfolds is the autocratic and slavish structure of the Deeper Life Bible Church hierarchy. For instance, Akinyemi came to Italy in 1994 to pilot the Church, it would be exactly 28 years this month, and for all that time hadn’t been paid a salary. The hierarchy not minding what challenges its members in the diaspora are experiencing mandates it to send money to the Deeper Life International Conference Centre along Lagos-Ibadan express way in Nigeria. The quota given to Italy is two million dollars. The Global Committee is denying this but this is a fact. USA, UK, Northern Europe, Canada, Australia all have their quotas. For expressing his frustrations and saying it as it is with the Italian Church, Akinyemi is being branded confrontational not just to the Church hierarchy but Pastor Kumuyi the General Superintendent. In the recent past no fewer than three of their overseers in the diaspora have been removed or pressured out of office, including Olu Itiola, National Overseer, USA, Solomon Alabi, National Overseer Canada and Pre Ovia, European Overseer. A Zoom meeting summoned at the instance of Kumuyi over the matter became acrimonious. Pastor Anthony Ojo of the Netherlands was shut down for trying to calm the situation during the meeting. The hierarchy wasn’t bending backwards, it would send emissaries to Italy. All pleas by Akinyemi that such visit should be pushed from June while he was in the middle of preparing his students for their annual exams, fell on deaf ears.
Enters the Emissaries
The emissaries dispatched to Italy by the Church in Nigeria included Pastors Raheem Oni of New Jersey, USA, Paul Akowe of Plaistow, London, UK, John Amoni, Zambia and George Olofintunyi, United Arab Emirates. For months they were in Italy, these emissaries were lodged in hotels at the expense of the Church in Nigeria. From the start their focus was on the assets of the Church in Italy, they were not interested in whatever challenges or liabilities that were inherent in the Church. When the emissaries finally sat down with Akinyemi, he was not accused of embezzlement or mismanaging the resources of the Church. He wasn’t accused of preaching false doctrine or immoral behaviour. Wait for it, he was accused of not attending online bible studies conducted from Lagos. Italy and Spain were especially cited in this regard. This accusation was punctured by evidence of notes taken during such online meetings. The next accusation was that he doesn’t attend the Global Crusade. But Akinyemi argued that Italy attended the crusades more than other Deeper Life Churches in other nations. Finally, he was accused of being disobedient to Pastor Kumuyi in 2007 because he refused to sell a property as directed by the GS and use the proceeds to settle debts. Akinyemi reiterated there was no way he could have sold any of the Church properties because of Italian laws.
Verdict
The emissaries informed Akinyemi that Kumuyi has directed them to urged him to step aside because the GS said he Akinyemi was “bitter towards him.” Akinyemi denied begrudging Kumuyi but insisted he was resentful of “a system that treated you like a slave.”
“It is all about money and I am seen as an obstacle to getting money from Southern Europe. However, the fact is that there is no money in Southern Europe. We have no savings in banks, and the brethren are already doing much in terms of vows to help solve our local problems. Why put other unbearable burdens on them?” Akinyemi queried.
According to him, “this has led to a split in the church in Italy – the unreasonable demands of the church, the unwillingness to wait for us to solve our problems and then start to support Lagos, the autocratic command and comply that will not bend.”
So now you know how it feels 😂.
At the end of the day It’s always all about money and offerings. It’s a big shame that people have forgotten who brought Deeper life to Rome, I will just set back and enjoy my coffee. The truth shall set you free Amen.
Written by
Emmanuel Fajuyigbe son of Joshua Fajuyigbe the original creator of Deeper life Bible church in Italy