In what could be termed a historic event, the Grand Imam of Pakistan, Mawlana Sayyid Muhammad Abdul Kabir Azad, has promised to work with the General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William F. Kumuyi, saying “…we are going to arrange a big conference for you.”
The Islamic leader made the promise during his face-to-face meeting with Pastor Kumuyi, at the historic Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, with both clerics emphasising love, respect and peaceful relations across religious boundaries.
The meeting took place during Pastor Kumuyi’s visit to Pakistan as part of his ongoing global evangelistic ministry.
Welcoming Pastor Kumuyi, Grand Imam Azad expressed his desire for the relationship to go beyond the meeting, saying he hoped both sides could work together to promote peace.
“I think we have together to go forward. And we are going to arrange a big conference for you,” the Grand Imam said.
Responding to the Grand Imam, Kumuyi expressed appreciation for the reception and said he was particularly encouraged by Azad’s openness to people of different faiths. “I’m more than happy and joyful to be with you,” he said.
He went on to explain that he had observed how the Imam welcomed and accommodated people from different religious backgrounds, describing the approach as an expression of a deeper form of love.
A Rare Encounter
Kumuyi described the love that comes from God as one that moves people to actively care for others, protect them and prevent harm from coming to them.
According to the Christian leader, such love should not be limited to the people present at a particular gathering, but should continue beyond the immediate encounter.
Grand Imam Azad also acknowledged the impact of Kumuyi’s ministry and expressed appreciation for the Nigerian pastor’s visit. He called for the removing of hatred between people and replacing it with love.
“As God has chosen us, so now our work is that we should remove the hatred between humans and bring them love in each other,” he said, and later presented Kumuyi with a book addressing terrorism.
Pastor Kumuyi, who is 85, has continued to travel internationally on the platform of the Global Crusade with Kumuyi (GCK), taking his evangelistic ministry to different countries of the world.
For the Nigerian cleric, the meeting in Lahore represented an opportunity to demonstrate the Christian emphasis on love beyond the boundaries of a particular community. It brought together two religious leaders who do not share the same faith but found common ground in their emphasis on human dignity, respect, love and peace.
