30 January 2022
The General Overseer, Spirit-filled Ministries, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Archbishop Denis Umoh, tells GODFREY GEORGE about his life, pastoral ministry and how he has remained strong in faith at 84
Tell us a bit about your background.
My name is Archbishop Denis Sam Umoh. I was born on January 3, 1938. I just celebrated my 84th birthday weeks ago. I am from Akwa Ibom State. I was born in a village called Ibiaku Offot in the Uyo Local Government Area. As a village boy then, I attended a primary school owned by a nearby village Catholic Church as there was none in my village and there were no government schools at that time. That was where I learnt how to read, write and count. After I was done with primary school, I couldn’t further my education due to some financial issues; so I attended a Bible College, established by my place of worship. That was where I obtained a certificate in Theology in 1973. I also attended a course in Basic Literacy organised by Doctorate of Social Mobilisation where I obtained a certificate in 1988.
What are some of your most treasured childhood experiences?
There were so many treasured childhood experiences. Top on the list would be the communal life I enjoyed. We were allowed to run and play around in the community with no strict supervision as there was no fear of being kidnapped, as it’s the case today. In our society today, children are not allowed to be children because of the fear of the unknown. Then, raising children required contributory efforts. Members of the community were involved in raising and training children who were not their biological children. An elderly person could see a child misbehaving and would discipline the child with no fear of how the parents would take it. It’s not really so in our society today. We live in a time that if you take disciplinary actions on someone’s child without the parents’ consent, you risk being sued or taken to court.
We had water bodies that were not polluted as we have today, especially in our region, South-South Nigeria. We would go to the streams, drink from there, wash our clothes and swim. Today, things have changed.
What difference can you draw between the quality of education you got and what is obtainable now?
Apart from the present-day technology and the advantages that go with it, I would say that the quality of education then was better than now because a lot of morals were kept, not now that there are a lot of illegalities in the educational system. Then students were very serious, hard-working and aimed high. The excellent results got then were due to the rules and principles of the school then, parents’ reaction to the children’s results when the term closed, amongst others. There were responsible students who wanted to change the situation of their families and do something better with their lives. So they knew that studying hard would help them achieve their dreams, so they put in all their effort.
How much were school fees then?
Well, money had great value then than it is now. Moreover, with the intervention of missionaries in education, school fees were quite minimal. It won’t be useful to begin to try to recollect what it was back then and compare with what obtains now. Unlike today when even mission schools have become unaffordable for the children of even church members, education was quite affordable back then.
What kind of people were your parents?
They were disciplinarians, but I was still quite young when I lost my father. My mother believed in the philosophy of “spare the rod and spoil the child” and she applied that in training my siblings and me. She applied the ‘Carrot and Stick’ formula. When we did things that were commendable, we got the ‘carrot’, but when we did things that were condemnable, we got the ‘stick’. The disciplinary life of my mother really helped us to grow into responsible adults. I had to raise my children likewise and the results are phenomenal. People in my community and beyond give glory to God each time they see the quality of children God has helped me raise.
You mentioned that you decided to go to the bible college because you could not further your education in the regular school due to lack of funds. Do you feel fulfilled with the path that life took you through?
I would say it was God’s plan. My mother showed me the ways of the Lord and I followed the path till it led me to be a preacher. My father-in-law was a bishop and my contact with him added to my being a preacher.
What was your parent’s reaction when you told them you had a call from God?
I think my mother had always known I would be a preacher, so it wasn’t a surprise to her. By the way, I am from a family that has a long-standing priesthood lineage. Though I am the first bishop in my family and my community, by the grace of God, we have Reverend Fathers and pastors. So, my mother’s reaction when she got to know I had a call from God was positive.
What have been the highlights of your work as a clergyman?
Being a pastor is a huge responsibility and back then people ran away from being pastors because apart from soul winning, there was nothing attractive about pastoral ministry. So, what drew me into the pastoral ministry was conviction. The lessons learned were vast and I will summarise by saying that it pays to serve Jesus. Jesus cannot take your life and make it miserable!
At what point in your life did you feel it was necessary to start a family?
I believed in the philosophy that says, “The earlier, the better”, so I started my family very early in life. My children are advanced in age. I have grandchildren in their number and great-grandchildren are almost here.
Did you feel pressured by your parents at any point because of this?
Not really. Of course, many parents who have children of marriageable age would want them to get married and that was my mother’s desire too but I never got pressured.
Did you meet your wife in the church?
Yes, I did. My father-in-law was a bishop with beautiful children and I happened to marry the first daughter, Victoria.
What were some features that attracted you to her?
Godly virtues and beauty were top on the list of the features that got me attracted.
What was it like raising your children?
It was really demanding but the grace of God was always available. All of my children have been established, by the grace of God. My last daughter who is also the last child got married last year and I have God to return all glory to.
Do you have any of your children who have indicated an interest in the pastoral ministry?
My first son, Uwem Denis, is a pastor in Lagos and my fourth son, Unyime Denis, is a pastor in Uyo. I have, in all, five sons and they are all doing the work of the ministry in addition to their professional works.
What are the most important lessons you have learnt in marriage?
Summarily, you cannot abide by the principles of the scriptures and get it wrong in the marriage. Marriage will scale through the storms of life with Jesus in the boat.
What are some of the values that you have lived by that have kept you going all these years?
The summation of the values is what we have in I Timothy 6:6, which says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” Godliness with contentment is what has kept me going all these years.
What advice do you have for young pastors who are coming into the ministry?
Be convinced of your decision, have accountable partners, be careful of abusing what I term “WWW”, which are wine, wealth, women. Overall, let I Timothy 6:6 be your guide.
What advice do you have for the youths who want to get rich by all means to meet up society’s pressure?
My counsel will basically be based on Proverbs 23: 4-5, using the Amplified version of the Holy Bible, which reads: “Weary not yourself to be rich; cease from your own [human] wisdom. Will you set your eyes upon wealth, when [suddenly] it is gone? For riches certainly make themselves wings, like an eagle that flies toward the heavens.”
People have often said that Nigerians are too religious but lack basic morals. How do you think we can tackle this decadence in society?
Genuine repentance is the way out! It’s sad to say that we have many who attend church meetings, for instance, but have not genuinely repented. With such people, having a society that does well will be difficult. How do we tackle this decadence? Let places of worship put systems in place that will help build members and drive in godly principles for a better society.
At 84, you must have witnessed some milestones in Nigeria’s economic and political history. Looking at the country now, what can you say is the problem and how can it be tackled?
Nigeria’s problem is not necessarily corruption as generally opined but bad governance. We have many “leaders” who get into leadership for what to get rather than what to give. How do we tackle this? Good people should not be scared of taking up leadership positions and the masses should vote based on credibility, not sentiment.
Are there meals you no longer eat that you used to really like as a youth?
Yes, as one ages, it is wise to eat more healthily. The more you age, the less you eat. You cannot be eating like a crab – eating with all your hands. It is better to eat like a chicken – test and be selective of what you eat.
At 84, what are you most grateful for?
I am most grateful to God for God’s blessing. The Bible says in Proverbs 10:22 “The Lord’s blessing is our greatest wealth. All our work adds nothing to it!” This has been my testimony and I am most grateful for it.
PUNCH
