“The Devil Struck When I Was Away” – Pastor Kumuyi Breaks Silence On Wife’s Tragic Passing

Pastor William Kumuyi, General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, has revisited the heartbreaking moment of his first wife’s death, attributing the tragedy to spiritual vulnerability during his absence from home.

Speaking at the Global Workers’ Conference held at the Deeper Life International Conference Centre, Kumuyi recalled how his wife, Abiodun Kumuyi, passed away on April 11, 2009, while he was away ministering at a church retreat. He described the incident as a turning point in his spiritual mission.

“My wife was at home facing a health challenge, and I was at the Faith Clinic preaching that Saturday morning,” he said. “It was then the devil struck, taking advantage of my absence. I had not sealed the spiritual gate, and when I got the message that she was gone, I rushed home to find it had already happened.”

Despite the painful loss, Pastor Kumuyi said he received divine assurance not to be consumed by grief but to move forward. “The Lord told me to let it go, not to dwell on it,” he shared.

Rather than retreating into sorrow, Kumuyi transformed the loss into renewed purpose. “From that day, I vowed it would never happen again. I took it as a challenge to launch a spiritual counterattack,” he said.

He explained that this painful event sparked a new, more intense phase of his ministry. “Since then, I’ve traveled extensively—across Nigeria’s local governments, throughout Africa, and to all continents of the world. Miracles followed: blind eyes opened, the deaf began to hear, the lame walked, and now the dead have been raised.”

Reflecting on the impact of that moment, Kumuyi encouraged believers to take spiritual authority over their homes and lives. “What is gone is gone. Now, in your family, you must take charge. Anywhere I go now, I’m in charge. Nothing will steal from me again,” he declared.

Pastor Kumuyi and his late wife, Abiodun, were married for 28 years, from 1980 until her passing in 2009. Their marriage was blessed with two sons, Jeremiah and John.