Having closed with Bishop (Prof) Leonard Nwoma Umunna of the Bible Life Church Cathedral International (BLCC) in recent times, I discovered that he is the only Ajegunle minister of God that appreciates people’s intellectual vibrancy at all walks of life without altercation or flexing muscles. If not the best pastor of the 21st century on earth or otherwise. In spite of all his ganguatuan achievements on this planet earth, he still has love for upcoming achievers without having the spirit of pull- him- down syndrome. His ministerial calling is not for money minting but how he can lead genuine souls to Christ in this end time. How many Nigerian ministers of God can pray for their members and pastors under their leadership that they should be better than them in their ministries?
But Professor Leonard Umunna is a leading example to such godly prayers of the saints. In his 50years celebration on the pulpit, I discovered that those that he pastored and now having their glorious ministries like Rev. Philip Idodo and others came to celebrate with our great Bishop Daddy Umunna of the 21st century without squabble. Unlike some so-called ministers of God who will rather lay unrepentant curses on their junior ministers on the altar without considering the side effect and claiming he or she is the only called servant of God and to be addressed only as the highest authority, but in Bible lifers, ministerial offices are created for every minister to exhibit his God’s gift. The likes of Pastor Angela Ekpene- Umunna and others will continue to grow in Christ because Bishop Umunna is a man of God with ingenious and resourceful vision of the 21st century.
Professor Leonard Umunna remains the only mentor which Nigeria has ever produced in the religious cycle. His numerous achievements from all walks of life are testimonies to it. He is my mentor to the core. He is not a self- centered minister of God who wants to accumulate wealth for himself only but ready to share his widow mite wealth and wisdom to everybody that needed it .All his church programmes are well organized to core with trained ministers of God.Pastor Angela Ekpene- Umunna as one of the key moderators of Daddy programmes has proved her religious critics wrong that she is a good product of Bible life School of Knowledge. Bible Life Church is spread all over the world with massive evangelism into the kingdom of God.
In one of his statements credited in the altar said God told him in 2004, 2007 and 2008 that he should be given to people not just members only but also that God has heavenly enriched him. Since he obeyed the servant of God that called him into the kingdom, his blessings are prodigious and exceptional unlike some ministers of God who accumulate wealth for themselves only without considering the poor members. His ministry teaches you how to give generously for God not man because he is a giver of givers in Nigeria. He is the only minister of God in Ajegunle that appreciates the electronic, online and print media. He also appreciates peoples’ visions without killing them either directly or indirectly. He humbles himself to everybody that comes close to him without due process or unnecessary protocols which some pastors now exhibit in their so-called mega churches.
Few years ago, precisely, though I was not closed to Daddy Umunna then, but I used to watch him on NTA channel 5 One on One programme where his contributions and views were highly elicited and welcomed by the moderator then. He also appeared in several television programmes and granted interviews on the national newspapers including the Sun, the Vanguard, the Champion and others which I had also read. His boldly caption in one the community based sought after newspapers called “The Commoners” also attracted me to pay attention to Bishop Umunna of the Bible Life church that one day I will surely meet him in person because of his extra- ordinary legacies in the ministry. I christened him as the “Doyen of God’s Generals in Nigeria”.
Again, Professor Leonard Umunna has impacted people in all professions. Today, one of his protégés, Pastor Angela Ekpene- Umunna is a case study of those that he has passionately impacted without tribal sentiment. Pastor Angela and others have played a servitude role of assiduousness and diligence in all ramifications. Today, Pastor Angela posses a Master’s degree from one of the reputable University in Nigeria. Nobody passes through Bishop Umunna and remains the same again. Her oratory spirit in the church is admirable to the core. Nobody that works with Bishop Umunna will exhibit mediocrity in his or her profession. In one of the youth seminars I attended that was organized by Umunna called Gathering of Stars, Eagles and Champions (GOSEC), he told the attentive youth audience that if you want to be a great man; you must associate yourself with those with creative vision and anybody who does not add values to your life, separate yourself from them as one of the advices he gave out. In one of his books,” No Cross, No Crown”, he highlighted some of the challenges he battled while growing up in the ministry and how he overcame them to the shame of his destructive enemies. Those that started with him in the same ministerial callings are no longer in Christ except few ones. Every of Bishop Umunna’s book is a blessing to Nigeria, the Christian cycle and the world.
In his recent golden jubilee Anniversary of Bishop(Prof) Leonard Umunna, the guest speaker, Bishop Junita Nwendu, Founder/ Chief Executive Officer of women in Africa Aids (WIWAA) and the Bishop of one the fast- growing Pentecostal churches in Abuja preached on a topic’ Is not about man but God’ which scripture was read from John5: 1-6. She elucidated on the scripture that Bishop Umunna is an achiever will must emulate in all ramifications. Her message was a time bomb which drew the attention of the congregation to stand still and received instant blessings of God in their lives. Bishop Junita Nwendu emphasized on the need for God to establish us in our lives and be faithful. Many people that attended this golden celebration of Daddy Umunna were blessed with her message. Though Bishop Umunna does not invite half-baked preachers into his pulpit but the ones with spirit- filled of God in their lives. Bishop Umunna has left his footprint in the sand of time. At 59, he has graciously achieved and waiting at 60 to celebrate the achieving glory of God in his life.
During the cake cutting which was moderated by one Mrs. Mary Taiwo(JP) former Permanent Secretary of District 5, Lagos State Ministry of Education , she showered encomium on our Bishop Leonard Umunna’s achievements and others. Anybody that has come in contact with Bishop Leonard Umunna can never remain the same again. All his protégés are excelling in all their professions including his beloved biological children. Bishop Umunna is not after the older generation alone but also transforming the younger generation to be useful in the society that is why he remains the only role model pastor that Ajegunle has ever produced. He is a man of God you cannot compete with at all levels because he is versatile in almost the professions you can think of in Nigeria.
His ministerial calling is different from other ministers of God in Nigeria. He is rated among the A ministers of God with progressive mindsets like Dr. D.k Olukoya , Pastor Williams Kumuiyi, Dr. Odukoya, Pastor Chris Oyalkilome, Pastor Ayo Orietsejafor, Bishop Mike Okonkwo, Archbishop Joseph Ojo, and others. The words of Bishop Umunna says” I never had a better yesterday,It has always been good yesterday, better today and best tomorrow” for me, It is forward only because I am a possibilitarian Jesusian; I speak Christainise language’.
However, Bishop Umunna is not a greedy pastor who wants to be rich alone with his children. If Bishop Umunna happens to be like one the commercialized Nigerian pastors, all his children would have schooled in foreign countries with massive investments and using fleet of cars to intimidate the poor members. Can any Nigerian pastor will his property to the Church without the children names on it? But Bishop Umunna is a typical example of God’s servant who exhibited such intellectual gesture. He trained his children to live decent life style with integrity that is why today he is proud of them. His late wife lived a decent and holy life before her glorious demise to the eternity. He is a man that appreciates everybody talent whether old or young. Most General Overseers now see a church as business centre where profit-making is the ultimate goal than salvation but Bishop Umunna’s own is different from others because he received his calling at 9 and married as a virgin.
He never allows his family affairs to impede in church matters than God. Bishop Umunna has planted a good seed of salvation which everybody must follow. Some high profile religious critics have made discreditable and opprobrious statements against our amiable Bishop Umunna over the years that he uses security operatives to protect himself but someone who has escaped death for 99 times , what do you expect? Some people are enemies of our Bishop. Bishop Umunna is an ecclesiastic and sacerdotal servant of God with heterogeneous variance of making a difference in life. Above all, he has turgidly diversified his liberal vision to all sundries of life with indefatigable and sedulous mission to better the lot of Nigerians through massive job creation.
Once again, Papa happy birthday on the pulpit for 50years. Your ministerial calling is a challenge for anyone that wants genuine salvation in life without ministerial privatization or commercialization of the gospel. Those that graced the event were ministers of God, Sons and daughters, media professionals, lawyers, doctors, engineers, educationists, business moguls, chaplain generals and others.
Written BY GODDAY ODIDI
