The General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi, has announced significant changes to some of the church’s long-standing marriage rules, stating that many were human traditions and not biblical commands.

Speaking on Sunday, August 31, during the 2025 Global Family and Marriage Conference, Kumuyi clarified that the church’s previous rule prohibiting a lady from visiting a man she intended to marry has been cancelled. Going forward, intending couples are now allowed to visit each other during courtship, provided an elder accompanies them.

He also revealed that the widely known six-month compulsory courtship period has been scrapped, explaining that it was never a scriptural requirement.

“We just felt you needed 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,” Kumuyi explained.

He stressed the importance of distinguishing between God’s commandments and church traditions, noting that rules created by leaders should not be treated as divine instructions.

“As a Christian, you need to be so mature that you know the difference between the law of God and the principles in the church. 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,” he said.

Kumuyi further clarified that marriage committees in the church were set up only to provide guidance and support for intending 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 added.

The respected preacher also cautioned church leaders against overstepping their limits, urging them not to enforce man-made regulations as though they were God’s commands.

This adjustment marks a major shift for Deeper Life Church, known for its conservative approach, and is expected to influence how members view marriage preparation going forward.