Pastor Kumuyi relaxes Deeper Life courtship rules, declares them non-biblical
The General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi, has announced significant changes to long-standing marriage traditions within the church, declaring that some of them were administrative practices and not divine commandments.
Speaking at the 2025 Global Family and Marriage Conference, Kumuyi disclosed that the ban on ladies visiting their fiancés during courtship has been lifted. He explained that intending couples may now visit each other, provided an elder accompanies them.
The cleric also clarified that the church’s six-month mandatory courtship period is no longer rigid. He stated that while the timeframe was introduced to give couples space to know each other, it was not a biblical requirement and could be adjusted.
“We just felt you need some time to know one another. One month was too short, two months too short, so we said six months. But it is not from the Bible,” Kumuyi said.
“Six months is fine, but it’s not inflexible. If it becomes three months, we are not changing the Scriptures, because six months is not in the Bible.”
Kumuyi emphasised the need for Christians to distinguish between God’s law and church guidelines, stressing that administrative rules must never be treated as divine instructions.
He also cautioned marriage committees against overstepping their role, noting that they exist to provide guidance and support but not to impose rules as though they were scriptural commands.
