As part of its long-standing Easter festivities and tradition, the International Pentecost Holiness Church (IPHC) under the spiritual leadership of His Grace, Successor MG Sandlana, hosted a mass wedding ceremony whereby 1 500 couples (more than 3000 individuals) were ushered into holy matrimony on one special day.
“This record number of wedded couples surpasses by far the mass weddings in the same period whereby 400 couples got married in 2023 at the church,” said Head of Communications and Media Liaison Priest Vusi Ndala.
“The IPHC under the spiritual leadership of Tau, a name affectionately accorded to His Grace Successor MG Sandlana by the congregants, broke its own record of couples getting married in a single occasion,” said Priest Ndala.
He indicated that this is the largest number in the history of IPHC if not the world since the formation of the church in 1962.
He said the IPHC is known for these colourful, glittering weddings and that among couples who got married on the day were those involving polygamous marriages whereby one man married more than one wife; a long-standing African tradition which has been co-opted into the Church.
He said some of the grooms married their second wives while other grooms married two to three wives at the same time at the Church, and others married their sixth or seventh wife.
“The culture of Polygamous marriages is drawn from the Biblical book of Isaiah chapter 4 verse 1, where it is said that seven women shall hold onto one man, saying they will eat their own bread and wear their own apparel but must be called by the man’s name so as to take away their reproach,” explained Priest Ndala.
He said the highlight of the mass wedding ceremony this year was that it was held for the first time at the newly-built The Dome, which is the largest congregational dome in the Southern Hemisphere with a sitting capacity of 60 000.
There was singing, ululations and dancing at the mass wedding, with exuberant congregants expressing their heartfelt support to those getting married.
The Dome is at IPHC Kanana City, a mixed-use development area in Heidelburg.
28-year-old Gabriel Hlabangwane told Tshwane Talks that she was happy to marry her 25-year-old wife Maggie.
“This is a humbling experience and we feel blessed to be part of the mass wedding ceremony,” said Hlabangwane.
His wife Maggie said getting married at the church’s mass wedding ceremony is part of the teachings that were installed in them by the church from a very young age.
Samson Moagi (50) with his two beautiful wifes Monei (47) and Ntokozo (26) photo by Dimakatso Modipa
Wonga Hexana said he married two wives Tebogo and Vania to show the world that a polygamous marriage is possible and its essence is to celebrate the culture of marriage and that the best way to do so is to marry two women at one go.
“Many people are already in polygamous marriages but are hiding it but we are putting what is hidden out in the open and formalising it,” said Hexana.
The IPHC under the spiritual leadership of Tau photo by Dimakatso Modipa
Samson Moagi (50) of Meadowlands, Soweto revealed that he was getting married for the third time and that marriage is important and should be blessed.
He married Monei (47) and Ntokozo (26) at the same time.
“Marriage is something that is very good and it is a blessing from heaven; it all depends on how you treat each other,” said Moagi.
Aaron Kobola (54) and his beautiful wife Irene Kobola (52) marrying for the first time photo by Dimakatso Modipa
54-year-old Aaron Kobola married Irene (52) and said he would marry again in the near future as there are no limitations regarding the number of women a man can marry.
He said polygamous marriage comes from God and upcoming youth must also get into polygamous marriage as it is a blessing from God.