Pentecostal Church in South Africa holds a massive Easter wedding of 3,000 people, some polygamy

Johannesburg (AP) – Pentecostal Church in South Africa celebrates Easter Sunday with a massive wedding of about 3,000 people, many of whom participated in polygamous marriages.

International Pentecost Holy Church says that large-scale weddings are part of its Easter celebrations, and the tradition of polygamy has been observed in some African cultures and has been incorporated into the church.

Church spokesman Vusi Ndala said Sunday’s ceremony would marry their sixth or seventh wives. The other grooms marry multiple brides at once, Ndara said.

“Polygamy is not only embraced, but also highly valued,” Ndara said.

The International Church of Pentecost Holy was established in South Africa in the early 1960s. It is an African-initiated church, which means it was founded by Africans rather than foreign missionaries and blends Pentecostal faith with local traditions.

The church has had massive weddings before, including in 2023, when about 400 couples or bride parties ended. It said this year’s event was by far the largest event.

Ndala said the large number of people who got married this year was because “a large number of men married more than one wife on the road”.

In some cases, the groom brings a new marriage with whom the current wife or wife is with.

The wedding took place at the church’s headquarters, a huge dome building in the town of Heidelberg near Johannesburg that can accommodate 60,000 people.

Married fellows awaited a long white tent in the empty fields beside the church building where they were bridal flowers, food packs and water. Then they applied for the church building with long queues, women in white bridal dresses and many men in white suits and red ties.

Polygamy is legal in South Africa if the alliance is registered as a habitual marriage.

___

AP Africa News: