On the 13th of December, 2003, the world saw the birth of the greatest change-agent known to man. The Harvesters dream, a divine vision, given to Pastor Bolaji Idowu, started off with just a handful of people.Over the years, proving that with faith, determination, focus and the right team, anything is possible, what started with just a roomful of people, has grown to be the most desirable place of worship in Lagos, with worship centres on the mainland and island, drawing in thousands of people at 5 amazing services!
The mission
“Changing lives, raising pacesetters”
The vision
Reaching out with an inflamed passion to bring the unchurched to Jesus through the agency of The Word and the Holy Spirit
We believe that our life is not about us, we are custodians of this life and everything we have.
Life is best lived and has unprecedented rewards when it is used to achieve divine purpose of winning souls, serving God and humanity.
We firmly believe that there is nothing more valuable to God than human life.
That people matter to God. Hence, this is a church that is all about the people.
We strongly believe that the anointed word of God is the most powerful force in this world and the key to transformation and answer to all questions.
We believe that it is normal for every Christian to pursue full devotion to Christ, His word and His cause.
Senior Pastor
Pastor Bolaji Idowu is the senior pastor of Harvesters International Christian Centre (HICC), a dynamic church acclaimed as one of the fastest growing in Lagos. The church is geared towards changing lives and raising pacesetters.With a first degree in accounting from the University of Lagos, he has been a regular facilitator at the Daystar Leadership Academy (DLA), teaching on Kingdom Finances amongst other topics.
Pastor bolaji Idowu is a dynamic speaker on business process regeneration & his passion expands and covers creation and implementation of ideas.
He is an expert in motivating young people towards living their dreams and fulfilling their mission in life.Pastor bolaji Idowu is happily married to Omowunmi and they are both blessed with a son.
Journalist Alan Isaacson provides a helpful study of this phenomenal ministry in his book “Deeper Life: The Extraordinary Growth of the Deeper Life Bible Church”, after talking with many members of the church who told him how Christ has miraculously intervened and changed lives in response to prayer and the proclamation of the Gospel. In Pastor Kumuyi’s own words: “God, in the growth of Deeper Life Bible Church, has strategically and prudently used miracles to ‘make all men come to Him’ (John 3:26). We take Christian living and holiness seriously.”
According to Isaacson, The history of Deeper Life is very much the personal story of W.F. Kumuyi. He is a gifted man, clear-thinking and humble. He is a dedicated Christian and deserves the title ‘the man of God,’ which his followers have given him. Since he was a young man, Kumuyi has devoted his time to reading and studying the Bible. He knows the Scriptures inside out, and has struggled to understand and apply them. As he shares that struggle and his love for the word of God, so people have been drawn to him for advice, or simply to listen. When he preaches, his message is clear, simple, and profound. Poor street traders who can barely read sit next to university professors, all equally captivated by the way Scripture becomes suddenly relevant to them.
Deeper Life Bible Church
Pastor Kumuyi’s own Christian life developed because he took the Bible so seriously, and so the Deeper Christian Life Ministry has developed in the same way. In Alan Isaacson’s own words, he “preached Deeper Life into existence.”His sermons were captivating, wrote Isaacson, “I would classify him as one of the greatest living preachers, giving a straightforward Bible-based message, his sermons thorough, and always personally challenging. He always gave a wide range of cross-references which were read in their context, supporting, clarifying and expanding his main points. He spoke clearly and authoritatively to the Nigerian situation. He dealt sensitively with African culture, but also made a firm stand in highlighting the points where local culture was incompatible with the will of God. While stressing the high moral tone which is one of the virtues of most African cultures at their best, he was at pains to specify those aspects of local culture which were unchristian and even evil. In this way he was not only concerned with some kind of personal holiness, but also genuinely seeking the wholeness and harmony of the community at large, where truth, honesty, and justice should be the predominant characteristics.
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A Math Professor is Called to Preach!
In 1973, while serving as Math Lecturer at The University of Lagos, W.F. Kumuyi started a Bible study group with 15 university students who had come to him requesting training in the Scriptures. By the early 1980’s that small group had grown to several thousand, at which time Deeper Life Bible Church was formally established.
By 1988 the congregation had grown to 50,000, and now numbers 120,000 members, making it the third largest Christian church in the world. Dr. Johan Combrinck reports that the Deeper Life Bible Church not only has an attendance of 120,000 every Sunday, but has planted 500 churches in Lagos, 5,000 in the rest of Nigeria (with an independent estimate of more than 800,000 members in Nigeria alone), and 3,000 elsewhere (with missionaries to 40 countries of Africa) as the movement missionary contribution. (Source: AFNET).
Dr. C. Peter Wagner, in an article titled ‘Those Amazing Post-Denominational Churches’ wrote: “By far, the most rapidly growing segment of Christianity on all six continents is a type of church that does not fit traditional categories or classifications. Missiologists have recognized its presence for some time, but it is such a recent phenomenon that they have not yet agreed on a name for it. Perhaps one title that would fit is the term ‘post-denominational.”
“Go to almost any metropolitan area and ask to visit the largest Christian Church. Chances are it will be one of these new post-denominational churches’. In Lagos, Nigeria, it would be the Deeper Life Bible Church, pastored by William Kumuyi. On a recent Sunday I saw 74,000 adults worshipping together, with 40,000 children meeting in a separate building across the street.” (Apostolic Team Ministries, Intl., Newsletter 09).
How Did It Happen?
Journalist Alan Isaacson provides a helpful study of this phenomenal ministry in his book Deeper Life, talking with many members of the church who told him how Christ has miraculously intervened and changed lives in response to prayer and the proclamation of the Gospel. In Pastor Kumuyi’s own words: “God, in the growth of Deeper Life Bible Church, has strategically and prudently used miracles to make all men come to Him’ (John 3:26). We take Christian living and holiness seriously.”
According to Isaacson, The history of Deeper Life is very much the personal story of W.F. Kumuyi. He is a gifted man, clear-thinking and humble. He is a dedicated Christian and deserves the title “the man of God,” which his followers have given him. Since he was a young man, Kumuyi has devoted his time to reading and studying the Bible. He knows the Scriptures inside out, and has struggled to understand and apply them. As he shares that struggle and his love for the word of God, so people have been drawn to him for advice, or simply to listen. When he preaches, his message is clear, simple, and profound. Poor street traders who can barely read sit next to university professors, all equally captivated by the way Scripture becomes suddenly relevant to them.
Pastor Kumuyi’s own Christian life developed because he took the Bible so seriously, and so the Deeper Christian Life Ministry has developed in the same way. In Alan Isaacson’s own words, he “preached Deeper Life into existence.” His sermons were captivating, wrote Isaacson, “I would classify him as one of the greatest living preachers, giving a straightforward Bible-based message,his sermons thorough, and always personally challenging. He always gave a wide range of cross-references which were read in their context, supporting, clarifying and expanding his main points. He spoke clearly and authoritatively to the Nigerian situation. He dealt sensitively with African culture, but also made a firm stand in highlighting the points where local culture was incompatible with the will of God. While stressing the high moral tone which is one of the virtues of most African cultures at their best, he was at pains to specify those aspects of local culture which were unchristian and even evil. In this way he was not only concerned with some kind of personal holiness, but also genuinely seeking the wholeness and harmony of the community at large, where truth, honesty, and justice should be the predominant characteristics.
A Man With a Great Heart For God!
He is not tall, and does not have a larger-than-life character. He does not dominate, nor has he accrued power to himself. He walks slowly, is relaxed, and has a gentle sense of humour with a warm smile and a twinkle in his eyes. He dresses simply, eats simply… and… could have assumed titles to himself. As the Deeper Christian Life Ministry developed – most people enjoy the trappings and regalia of status which followers gladly give. But he calls his followers brothers and sisters, and treats them as colleagues.
W.F. Kumuyi was born in 1941 into an Anglican home. It was a very strict Christian home, he told Isaacson, “We would get up in the morning, read the Bible, sing hymns, and go to church regularly. When I went to secondary school I lost interest in the church because our principal taught us atheism. But after a while I thought again and started going to various churches in town. Eventually, in 1963, a group of singers and preachers from a Gospel church got permission to come to the school. I understood the Gospel message, and was born again on April 5th, 1964. I read John Wesley, Charles Finney, Spurgeon, and lots of other books. I got involved with the Scripture Union, and I grew.”
From Professor to Preacher!
He gained a first-class degree in Mathematics at the University of Ibadan; then went back to Mayflower School to teach. After five years he went to the University of Lagos to do a Postgraduate Certificate in Education and became a lecturer there in 1973; and that was when he started a small Deeper Life Bible Study group.
In speaking to a group of Pastors under his leadership as General Superintendent, W. F. Kumuyi said: “Our emphasis should be on the practical side of going out. If the Lord comes, let him meet us working for him. Now every time I preach I try to mention evangelism. I have told all the Lagos District Coordinators and Zonal Leaders to spend half their time on evangelism and only half their time on their members. There will always be problems in the church: don’t let them take up all your time”.
Concluding his book, Isaacson writes, “And, of course, Deeper Life are self-governing. Kumuyi is the founder & General Superintendent, and he carries a tremendous weight in pastoring the Gbagada (Lagos) church alone, quite apart from the (now thousands) of other congregations across Nigeria and the rest of the world. He is a remarkable leader, one of God’s people for this generation. Kumuyi has received a great deal from God, but he is adept at passing along what he receives. My feeling is that what God has given his people through Kumuyi will be kept and developed long after Kumuyi is gone. This has been God’s work, and to Him be the glory.”
Leader: President Muhammadu Buhari
Population: 183.5 million (89 million Christians)
Main Religion: Islam, Christianity
Government: Federal republic
World Watch List Rank: 10
Source of Persecution: Islamic extremism
Thousands of Christians have been killed or abducted by Boko Haram, the militant Islamist group who claim to have established a ‘caliphate’ (Islamic state) in northern Nigeria. On a smaller but no less devastating scale, Christians are also the target of Hausa-Fulani Muslim herdsmen, who have destroyed hundreds of churches and killed thousands of Christians. Twelve of the northern states have adopted Islamic law, and Christians are frequently discriminated against in this region, with Christian villages often lacking clean water and health clinics, and Christians being denied access to secondary school and higher education.
PERSECUTION IN NIGERIA
A girl sleeps peacefully in her school in Chibok, a place where she is able to learn, to laugh with her friends, to feel safe. Then one night, she is roughly woken by a man who points a gun at her. She is forced into a truck, along with many of her friends. It’s dark, but she feels the truck move. She doesn’t know where she is going, or if she will ever return.
The Chibok girls made the headlines when they were abducted in April 2014, but sadly their story is not an isolated one. Boko Haram, the militant Islamist group who took the Chibok girls, are responsible for thousands of deaths and abductions, mainly of Christians; they have been blamed for 4,000 deaths in 2014 alone. One woman who was kidnapped but managed to escape said: “Out of fear I have converted to Islam. Will Christ accept me back?”
Christians also face violent attack by Hausa-Fulani Muslim herdsmen. Although on a lesser scale, their attacks are no less devastating – they have killed thousands of Christians and destroyed or targeted hundreds of churches. And yet, several states are planning to give these herdsmen grazing fields out of the land of indigenous Christian communities.
In parts of northern Nigeria, where 12 states have adopted Islamic law, Christians have taken to dressing like Muslims to avoid being lynched. Christian girls are in very real danger of being abducted and forced to marry. Even when not being directly attacked, Christians in this region are discriminated against; their communities are often left without basic facilities such as clean water and health clinics, and access to secondary school or higher education is frequently denied to Christians.
There is concern that Christian youths will be tempted to retaliate against their Muslim neighbours, creating a cycle of violence. Yet many Christians are choosing to forgive and to continue to reach out to their communities. Damaris Atsen, whose husband was murdered in anti-Christian riots, says, “I have forgiven and God will help me to love everybody. It is not easy, but it is God that will give us the grace to love.”
PLEASE PRAY:
For an end to violence by Boko Haram and Hausa-Fulani Muslim herdsmen, and wisdom for the government to deal with these groups effectively
For protection for Christians, particularly girls, and for the safe release of all who are held captive
Praise God that, despite their fear, many Christians continue to reach out to their neighbours with the gospel. Ask God to use His church to shine as a light in the darkness.
Christian Post Report – Richard Dawkins in an interview with Seth Andrews, host of “The Thinking Atheist,” published on Oct. 20, 2013.
A U.K. politician has asked why some Christian pastors are being prosecuted at court for condemning Islam and calling it “satanic,” such as the case of Belfast preacher James McConnell, while atheist author Richard Dawkins can make “horrific remarks” about children with Down syndrome without consequence.
“Professor Richard Dawkins made a horrendous remark about children with Down’s syndrome and the Scottish comedian Frankie Boyle is notorious for his offensiveness. Yet there is no suggestion of legal action against either Dawkins, or Boyle,” wrote Nelson McCausland, a member of the Legislative Assembly for Northern Ireland, in an article for The Belfast Telegraph.
While McCausland did not specify which of Dawkins’ remarks he finds “horrific,” the evolutionary biologist attracted a high level of controversy when he suggested in August 2014 that it would be “immoral” not to abort unborn children with Down syndrome.
Dawkins later defended his remarks, and insisted that if he ever had such a child, he would “love her dearly,” but said that does not change his stance on the subject.
“I have not the slightest doubt that, if I had a Down child, I would love her dearly. If I believed in God, I’d probably thank God she wasn’t aborted, and I would sincerely mean it and deeply feel it. But that is a judgment in hindsight, and it is totally compatible with a statement that, if offered a similar choice now, I would be in favor of abortion,” the atheist author wrote.
“Totally compatible with a belief that abortion would be the right decision, in circumstances where such a decision was available.”
Northern Ireland’s Public Prosecution Service revealed last week that 78-year-old McConnell is being charged with making “grossly offensive” remarks and broadcasting them online, and will have to face the court for his comments.
The remarks he is being accused of making concern a message in 2014 in which the Metropolitan Tabernacle preacher called Islam “satanic” and “spawn of the devil.”
McConnell later explained that he was talking about followers of Islam who have used doctrine as justification for violence.
“I have qualified my comments by reference to those who use their religion as justification for violence. As a preacher of the Word of God, it is this interpretation of the doctrine of Islam which I am condemning,” the pastor explained.
Some U.K. church leaders have expressed concern that they can also be prosecuted for their beliefs.
Peter Lynas, Northern Ireland director of the Evangelical Alliance, said earlier this week: “I don’t agree with all that pastor McConnell said, but I am deeply concerned about this prosecution for allegedly sending a message that is grossly offensive.
“Many churches will be wary of what they place on the Internet until this case is heard and the law is clarified. This prosecution seems to stretch the Communications Act well beyond what parliament intended.”
In his article, McCausland claimed that McConnell’s words are “not uncommon” in Christian literature and communication, and said that Jesus himself used strong language.
“Even more important and significant is the fact that Jesus Christ himself used such language during his Earthly ministry. He denounced false teachers and false teaching in what many today would regard as very strong language and, in John 8:44, 45, he said to some of his hearers: ‘Ye are of your father the devil.’ Yet He loved those to whom He referred and He loved them so much that He died for them,” the politician wrote.
McCausland further wondered whether the PPS’ decision is an attempt to “drive Christians off the Internet.”
“It is encouraging that so many people have expressed their concern about these cases, even people of other faiths and no faith. They simply believe in such freedoms as freedom of speech, freedom to preach and freedom to manifest a religious belief,” he said.
“Freedom of speech, including the freedom to preach the Christian Gospel, is a fundamental freedom, but it seems that this and other rights are under attack when they are exercised by Christians.”
At a press conference from Brussels, Mr Hollande confirmed that two attackers had targeted the chemicals factory in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, crashing into it in a car.
“We have no doubt that the attack was to blow up the building. It bears the hallmarks of a terrorist attack,” he said.
Media captionFrancois Hollande: “France will never give in to fear”
Referring to the terrorist attacks in and around Paris that killed 17 people in January, he said: “We all remember what happened before in our country. There is therefore a lot of emotion.”
Mr Hollande said he would leave the EU summit in Brussels this afternoon and return to France.
Speaking from the scene, France’s Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said the suspect in custody has been under investigation between 2006 and 2008.
Mr Cazeneuve said the identity of the suspect was yet to be confirmed but that he was thought to be Yacine Sali.
“This person was under investigation for radicalisation but this investigation was not renewed in 2008. He had no police record,” Mr Cazeneuve said.
Officials said the suspect in custody has been known to police since 2006
According to France’s Dauphine Libere newspaper, a second suspect has been arrested at his home in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier.
He is believed to be a man seen driving back and forth past the factory earlier in the morning, the newspaper said.
A spokesman for Air Products said: “We can confirm that an incident occurred at our facility in L’Isle-d’Abeau, France this morning.
“Our priority at this stage is to take care of our employees, who have been evacuated from the site and all accounted for.”
The attack occurred around 10:00 local time (08:00 GMT). According to French regional newspaper Le Dauphine Libere, a man was seen driving back and forth in front of the target building earlier in the morning
BBC Africa reports – Nigeria court in Kano sentences nine people to death for blasphemy
An Islamic court has sentenced nine people to death for insulting the Prophet Muhammad in the northern Nigerian city of Kano.
The accused, who were all Muslims, had pleaded guilty, the head of Kano’s religious police, Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, told the BBC.
The trial was speedily done in secret after a section of the court was burnt down by angry protesters last month.
It is not known if they will appeal against the sentence.
The alleged offence was committed last month at a religious gathering in honour of Sheikh Ibrahim Niasse, the Senegalese founder of the Tijaniya sect, which has a large following across West Africa.
The nine, eight man and a woman, were reported to have said that “Niasse was bigger than Prophet Muhammad”, triggering unrest.
The venue was burnt to the ground by an angry mob and the nine were arrested,
“There has been consensus among Muslims scholars that insulting the prophet carries a death sentence,” Mr Daurawa told the BBC Hausa service.
“We quickly put them on trial to avoid bloodshed because people were very angry and trying to take law into their hands,” he added.
BBC reports – At least seven people have been killed in an attack on a tourist hotel in the Tunisian resort town of Sousse, according to the Interior Ministry.
At least one gunman has been shot dead, a security source told Reuters news agency.
Sousse is a popular tourist destination.
Tunisia has been on high alert since March when militants killed 22 people, mainly foreign tourists, in an attack on a museum in the capital Tunis.
The Interior Ministry told the BBC “a terrorist attack” was ongoing and there were casualties, but did not give any more details.
What most people know about Jonah is that he was swallowed by a big fish while trying to run from God. In the creature’s belly, he committed to following the Lord’s will. So when Jonah was called a second time to preach repentance in Nineveh, he obeyed.
After the prophet obeyed, there was an unexpected turn of events. He crossed the city, warning the people of divine wrath—and they responded by turning away from wickedness. The Ninevites’ response should have made Jonah ecstatic. Instead, he grieved over their repentance and God’s mercy on them, as Nineveh and Israel were longtime enemies. In fact, he angrily told the Lord he had fled to Tarshish to avoid this very scenario of penitence and forgiveness.
Jonah was displeased because his heart was as hard as when he had run to Tarshish. Trapped inside the fish, he changed his mind about following the Lord’s command. He expressed willingness to do whatever God wanted him to do, but in his heart, he still desired the Ninevites’ destruction. Jonah’s bitterness and reluctance showed through in spite of his righteous actions.
God is not fooled by good behavior that springs from a hard heart. Obeying Him with an unwilling spirit may achieve His purpose, but we lose the joy of our reward. Perhaps the Lord has called you to serve Him in a way that is personally challenging. As you commit to following His will, pray also for a soft heart. You will find peace and blessing in doing the work if you follow Him without hesitation.
Christian Post Report -According to AFP, the suspected attacker entered the factory and set off small explosive devices. A decapitated body was also reportedly found near the factory and the head, according to local media, was “found hanging on the fence of the Company enclosure.”
“According to the initial findings of the enquiry, one or several individuals on board a vehicle drove into the factory. An explosion then took place,” said one source to the AFP.
“The decapitated body of a person was found nearby the factory but we do not yet know whether the body was transported to the place or not,” added the source, who noted that a “flag with Arabic writing on it was found on the scene.”
Sources close to the investigation of the incident say a man thought to be the person who carried out the attack, which occurred around Christian Post Report – 10 a.m. local time, has been arrested.
Eric Coquet, a businessman from Vege France, with a company located near the scene of the attack, told The Local that he only heard the explosion.
“We didn’t see anything, but we heard the explosion. It was like a lorry backfiring. People here are not really scared, but they are shocked that something like this could happen just round the corner,” he said.
“The police are everywhere; it looks like they are still searching for people. The anti-terror unit is also here and the interior minister is on his way. We haven’t been told that we have to stay inside,” he added.
Benedicte Paviot, a French commentator, told Sky News: “It seems we may be dealing with a terrorist attack that is not at all confirmed yet by the French authorities.”
In Islamic attacks carried out by two brothers that began with a shooting at satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and lasted for three days in January, some Christian Post Report – 17 people were killed.
Twelve of them died at the magazine office while a policewoman and four hostages in a Jewish supermarket were also killed.
Christian Post Report – Tullian Tchividjian, founder of Liberate.org and senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Tullian Tchividjian, a grandson of prominent evangelical preacher Billy Graham, who resigned as lead pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Florida Sunday after confessing to an “inappropriate” relationship, continued to vent online Wednesday with at tweet declaring “I’m so, so, sorry.”
“I’m so so sorry. I love you all … fade to black,” Tchividjian noted in a Tweet Wednesday.
I'm so so sorry. I love you all…fade to black.
— Tullian Tchividjian (@PastorTullian) June 24, 2015
Tchividjian’s former church announced this week that in light of the scandal, the annual LIBERATE conference which he normally led would be canceled and those who had signed up for it already would be refunded registration fees. The LIBERATE website is also closed temporarily.
“Considering pastor Tullian’s recent resignation as senior pastor of CRPC after admitting moral failure, and his subsequent statement and actions, it is with heavy hearts that our church leadership has come to the conclusion to temporarily close LIBERATE,” said a message on the website.
“This includes cancellation of the 2016 conference, for which registration fees will be fully refunded,” it continued.
“Coral Ridge very much believes in the message of God’s ‘Good News’ of grace to a broken and burned out world. It is our desire that the LIBERATE message will endure through loyal readers and followers like you, who continue to proclaim to individuals around the world in desperate spiritual need that Jesus lived, died, and rose again to ‘set the captives free’ (Luke 4:18),” it further added.
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(Photo: The Thinking Atheist Youtube video)
(Photo: Liberate.org screen grab)
