A Pentecostal church in South Africa marked Easter Sunday with a grand mass wedding, officiating the marriages of approximately 1,500 couples—some of which included polygamous unions.
The International Pentecost Holiness Church, based in Heidelberg near Johannesburg, organized the large-scale event as part of its annual Easter celebrations.
The church, which embraces polygamy as part of its religious and cultural practices, witnessed several grooms marrying multiple wives—some adding sixth or seventh spouses.
“Polygamy is not only embraced but held in high regard in the church,” said church spokesperson Vusi Ndala. He added that the tradition aligns with certain African cultural practices, which the church incorporates into its faith.
Founded in the early 1960s, the International Pentecost Holiness Church is an African-initiated religious movement that blends Pentecostal Christian teachings with indigenous traditions. It has hosted mass weddings before, including one in 2023 with around 400 couples. This year’s event, however, was its largest to date.
According to Ndala, the significant increase in the number of couples was largely due to the high number of men marrying more than one wife. In many cases, grooms were accompanied by their current wives as they formalized new unions.
The wedding took place at the church’s headquarters—a vast, dome-shaped structure capable of seating 60,000 congregants. Couples waited in long white tents set up in adjacent fields, where they were provided with bridal flowers, food packs, and bottled water.
The brides wore traditional white gowns, while most grooms donned matching white suits with red ties. The couples entered the church in long processions to take part in the ceremony.
In South Africa, polygamous marriages are legal if registered under customary law, making such unions officially recognized under the country’s legal framework.
