NIGERIA: Pastor William Kumuyi, the General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, has shed fresh light on some of the church’s long-standing marriage traditions, describing them as administrative guidelines rather than commandments from God.
Speaking on the controversial rules, Kumuyi announced that the policy which forbade ladies from visiting men they intend to marry has now been cancelled. He explained that intending couples are free to visit each other during courtship, provided they are accompanied by an elder.
According to him, it is important for Christians to distinguish between divine laws and church-made principles, stressing that such rules are flexible and subject to change.
“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,” Kumuyi clarified.
“As a Christian, you need to become 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.”
The cleric further explained that the marriage committee in the church was created for guidance and not because there is any scriptural basis for it.
“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 said.
Kumuyi also warned leaders against wielding powers beyond what God has given them, noting that administrative committees should not be mistaken for divine authority.
“Marriage committees should not exercise an authority that God has not given them. This is just church organisation, not divine law,” he cautioned.
GWG
