In a revelation on her verified Facebook page, Mercy Benjamin, a Blogger and Web Developer based in Lagos, opened up about her challenging experiences growing up as a member of the Deeper Life Church, attributing her struggles to the teachings of Pastor Williams Folorunso Kumuyi.
Despite expressing respect for Pastor Kumuyi’s perceived humility, Benjamin criticized him for what she described as a ruinous impact on her childhood and her family’s financial choices. According to her, the church’s teachings led to missed opportunities for her father, who chose to adhere to what she refers to as “deluded preachings.”
“I respect you as an individual, but I am disappointed at your state of delusion and the multitudes you lead with it,” Benjamin wrote in her Facebook post.
The blogger also highlighted specific restrictions imposed by the church, such as the prohibition of wearing lace material clothes, recalling an incident where her father insisted on the tailor sewing “gathers gown,” which she humorously describes as “the most hideous shapeless gown that gathers together around the waist.”
Benjamin also touched upon the church’s strict grooming standards, revealing her father’s use of a razor blade and comb to scrape their hair. She expressed frustration at the perceived negativity towards anything deemed “good” by the church, emphasizing the pressure to conform to a particular voice and intonation resembling Pastor Kumuyi’s among the church workers.
“For a larger part of my life, I believed white powder could catapult me straight to hell. We could not even mingle properly with people,” she shared, highlighting the psychological impact of the church’s teachings on her self-image.
Benjamin’s revelations shed light on the inner workings and perceived restrictions of the Deeper Life Church, sparking discussions about the influence of religious doctrines on personal development.
This is coming as the BBC released a three-part documentary detailing alleged atrocities committed by Late Prophet TB Joshua of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN).
