Kumuyi Breaks Silence: Why Deeper Life’s Marriage Rules Must Change

The General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi, has announced changes to the church’s marriage rules, clarifying that many of them were administrative guidelines rather than biblical instructions.

Speaking at the 2025 Global Family and Marriage Conference on Sunday, August 31, Kumuyi revealed that the long-standing rule prohibiting a woman from visiting her fiancé has been abolished. Intending couples may now visit each other during courtship, provided an elder is present.

He also explained that the six-month compulsory courtship period is no longer binding, stressing that it was never a scriptural requirement but simply a human arrangement.

“We just felt you need some time to know one another. We thought one month or two months was too short, so we decided on six months. But it’s not from the Bible,” Kumuyi said.

The Deeper Life leader emphasized the importance of distinguishing between God’s commandments and church traditions, warning Christians not to treat human regulations as divine law.

“Six months is fine, but it is not inflexible. If it becomes three months, we are not altering the Bible, because six months is not in the Bible,” he added.

Kumuyi further explained that marriage committees were introduced only to guide couples, not to replace biblical authority.

“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,” he clarified.

He concluded by cautioning leaders against overreaching their authority, stressing that marriage committees must operate within the boundaries of scripture.