By Mpumzi Mshweshwe
Pentecost Holiness Church (IPHC), under the spiritual leadership of Successor MG Sandlana, is set to host mass weddings of 1500 couples, roughly 3000 members, on Easter Sunday, the 20th. The mass weddings form part of a longstanding, year-on-year tradition by the IPHC. The weddings are set to break a record for the largest number of people being married in one event. The weddings, which will start at 9 am, will be held in the newly built Dome at IPHC Kanana City, Heidelberg, the largest congregational Dome in the southern hemisphere, with approximately 60 000 seating capacity.
For decades, the IPHC has been known for these colourful and glittering mass weddings. Among those that will be wedded on the day are polygamous marriages, a longstanding African tradition which has been adopted by the church. The brides and grooms are from across all 9 provinces in South Africa and neighbouring countries – Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Swaziland.
Speaking on how the brides and grooms were selected IPHC’s Priest Vusi Ndala said: “It was not a selection process per se, but the brides and grooms follow a custom process and a tradition that involves administration, registration and submission of appropriate documentation that authenticate the marriage between and among those who are getting married.”
The men are vetted and tested by the Church to ensure that they are capable of maintaining their marriages. “The church abhors the abuse of women and gender-based violence. “Hence, the process to ensure that all is in order when the couples occupy their matrimonial home. “There is no limit on how many wives a man can marry as long as he has capacity to provide for and support the family,” Ndala said.
The first time was set in the Easter of 2023, where 800 couples wedded, and that record will be broken by this one, where 1500 couples will tie the knot. Traditionally, since 1962, mass weddings at IPHC are held 3 times a year, on Easter, the first week in September, which is the Church’s new year and on Christmas Day.
Some of the grooms will be marrying their second wives, whilst others are set to be marrying two or three wives at the same event. This makes the Church the most popular among those who believe in the African tradition of polygamy, which is still practised in South Africa, who do not subscribe to the Western culture of a single wife.
IPHC embraces and holds polygamy to high regard, the inspiration of polygamy for the church is drawn from Isaiah 4.1 which reads “and in that day seven women shall hold one man saying, we will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel, only let us be called by his name, to take away our reproach”. The event is set to be a success, and a record number of people are set to attend the record-breaking event. – @NewsSA_Online
Please like and follow us on our social media platforms, links below.