Deeper Life, four other churches that don’t celebrate Christmas and why

VANGUARD

Despite Christmas being one of the most popular holidays worldwide, not all churches celebrate it.

Although many people celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ during this time, some churches and other religious institutions have chosen not to take part of the Christmas celebration due to its historical roots, or a desire for rigorous biblical observance.

Here is a list of 5 churches that don’t celebrate Christmas:

1. Jehovah’s Witness

Historically, Jehovah’s Witnesses were among the largest organisations to refrain from celebrating Christmas. Like many other Christian groups, the organization observed the festival until 1928. The 1993 book Jehovah’s Witnesses “Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom”, revealed that Christmas had its origins in “false religious beliefs or activities this discovery caused the Witnesses to eventually stop celebrating. At first, the change wasn’t consistent because many members needed some time to fully adopt the new position, particularly because other holidays, including Christmas, hadn’t been carefully examined yet.

They argued that the Bible would have specifically addressed it if its observance were significant.

2. Seventh Day Adventist Church

This church practices worship on Saturdays, the Jewish Sabbath, rather than Sundays, and, like Jehovah’s Witnesses, does not celebrate Christmas. A brochure from the group explains their position, pointing out that Jesus wasn’t born in December and that Christians aren’t told to commemorate His birth in the Bible. Instead of seeing Christmas as a festival that is approved by the Bible, the organization sees it as a commercialized event with pagan roots.

Some members of the religious group quietly celebrate Christmas and Easter with friends or family. In the end, the church views these festivities as a matter of personal preference, urging followers to concentrate on their faith and connection with Christ without questioning commonly observed customs.

3. Deeper Life

The esteemed leader of Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor W.F. Kumuyi, openly announced a few years ago that his church does not celebrate Christmas with both his congregation and the general world. Kumuyi gave a detailed explanation of his motivations during the church’s December retreat in 2013, saying, “We don’t celebrate Christmas. In actuality, it had an idolatrous origin. He underlined that since Christmas songs and other holiday customs are not included in the Bible or the early church’s practices, Deeper Life does not participate in them.

They believed that Christmas had its roots in a pagan celebration of the sun god. Deeper Life holds an event called Freedom Day in October to honor Jesus’ birth anniversary rather than Christmas.

4. The God’s Kingdom Society (GKS

The God’s Kingdom Society (GKS) commemorates the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ in October with an event called Freedom Day, whereas other Christians celebrate Christmas in December. The church avoids the December celebration because of its pagan roots and feels that this date is better consistent with historical and biblical interpretation. According to the GKS, Christmas is a custom that has its roots in Roman pagan customs like the celebration of Saturnalia, which paid homage to the sun deity.

GKS was founded in 1934 by St. Gideon Meriodere Urhobo, a Nigerian who broke with the Jehovah’s Witnesses, to restore what Urhobo considered to be authentic Christian practices. Urhobo, who lived from 1903 to 1952, aimed to lead his followers toward a more Biblically accurate faith, and the GKS’s teachings reflect this goal.

5. Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM)

At Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), founded by Dr. Daniel Olukoya, Christmas is not celebrated because it is believed to have pagan origins and lack a biblical basis. In 2019, Dr. Olukoya made it public that the church rejects Christmas since it is not grounded in Christian theology but rather in pagan customs and the Roman celebration of Saturnalia.

The “Power Must Change Hands” ceremony, which MFM organizes every year in place of Christmas, welcomes the New Year with a focus on deliverance, prayer, and spiritual combat. For the church, holiness, biblical purity, and spiritual preparedness are more significant than the observance of cultural celebrations.

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