The General Overseer of The Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor W.F Kumuyi warned his church members during their annual National December Convention which held on Saturday Dec 21st, against celebrating Christmas, because according to him it is idolatrous and unscriptural.
Kumuyi said;
“We don’t celebrate Christmas. It actually came from idolatrous background. That is why you don’t hear us sing what they call Christmas carol, Never! We always say it is the December retreat. We are only gathering together because it is the holiday period and love the lord more, and rededicate ourselves more.
Well, let's all try to respect other people's beliefs. Meanwhile, other Christian leaders have replied Kumuyi, saying Christmas is not idolatrous but biblical. Continue..“When you find anybody coming in, or any leader, trying to introduce the idolatry of mystery Babylon, that they call Christmas and you want to bring all the Christmas carol saying that is the day that Jesus was born, and you don’t find that in the Acts of the Apostles or in the early church, then you don’t find that in the church either. If you don’t know that before, now you know.
A Catholic priest, Monsignor Gabriel Osu, said
“I don’t know what he means by saying the practice of celebrating Christmas is wrong. Is he saying that Christ wasn’t born? That he didn’t come to die for us? Does he not celebrate his own birthday? Do Kumuyi’s pastors not celebrate him? It is not everything I react to; some people just seek attention. If Kumuyi is a Christian, then he must believe in Christ.
“The celebration of Christmas didn’t just start today; it is too public an event for anyone to say that they don’t know what it is about. “If Kumuyi is condemning the commercialisation of Christmas, I can understand that. Christ came to redeem us from our lost state; this was actualised through his coming, his birth; that is why we celebrate Christmas. It is the fulfilment of God’s promise.”
"Kumuyi is just saying what he feels; he is not making any doctrinal statement.”