The General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi, has announced sweeping changes to some of the church’s long-standing marriage regulations, stressing that they are administrative guidelines rather than divine commandments.
Speaking at the 2025 Global Family and Marriage Conference, Pastor Kumuyi urged Christians to differentiate between God’s unchanging laws and church rules, which, he said, can be adjusted to meet practical realities.
Among the major reforms, the cleric nullified the church’s restriction that prevented women from visiting men they intended to marry. Henceforth, intending couples may visit each other during courtship, provided they are accompanied by an elder.
He also abolished the church’s mandatory six-month courtship period, explaining that the timeline was only a guideline and not rooted in scripture.
“We just felt you need some time to know one another. And then we said one month will be too short, two months too short. So, why not six months? But it is not from the Bible. Six months is all right, but it’s not something inflexible. If we change it to three months, we’re not changing the Bible, because six months is not in the Bible,” Kumuyi said.
On the role of marriage committees, the Deeper Life leader clarified that they exist only to provide guidance, not to exercise authority over members.
“There’s no marriage committee in the New Testament. We created it to help you, not because we can give you a chapter and a verse. It is church administration. Marriage committees should not exercise an authority that God has not given them. This is just church organisation, not divine law,” he noted.
The development marks a significant shift in Deeper Life’s marriage practices, underscoring Pastor Kumuyi’s emphasis on scriptural clarity and the need to avoid mistaking church traditions for God’s commandments.
