In a major shake-up, Pastor William Kumuyi, the General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministry, has officially relaxed some of the strict marriage rules the church has followed for decades — and members can’t stop talking!
Speaking during the 2025 Global Family and Marriage Conference on Sunday, August 31, the respected cleric admitted that many of the old marriage restrictions were never actually biblical — just administrative decisions made by the church.
Visiting During Courtship? Now Allowed (With a Chaperone, Though)
One of the biggest surprises was his announcement that the ban on visiting your fiancé or fiancée has been scrapped.
According to Kumuyi, intending couples can now visit each other — but only if an elder accompanies them.
So yes, you can finally go see “bae” without breaking church rules — as long as you don’t go solo!
Six-Month Courtship Rule? Not a Must Anymore!
Remember that six-month compulsory courtship period before marriage? Kumuyi says it’s not mandatory anymore.
“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,” he explained.
The pastor made it clear — the time frame was just a human idea, not a divine commandment. So, couples can now decide for themselves how long they want to court before tying the knot.
“Know the Difference Between Church Rules and God’s Word” – Kumuyi
Kumuyi went on to remind Christians to distinguish between church traditions and biblical instructions.
“As a Christian, you must be mature enough to know the difference between the law of God and church principles,” he said.
“If we change it to three months, we’re not changing the Bible, because six months is not in the Bible.”
Marriage Committees, Take Note!
Kumuyi also clarified that marriage committees in Deeper Life were set up only to guide couples, not to replace biblical authority.
“There’s no marriage committee in the New Testament,” he said. “We created it to help you, not because we can give you a chapter and a verse. It is church administration.”
He further cautioned leaders not to overstep their bounds, saying they must never exercise power beyond what is written in the scriptures.
