Rhema Bible Church founder pastor Ray McCauley spent his last week before his “sudden and unexpected” death celebrating his 75th birthday with friends and family before enjoying a reunion with longtime friends.
This is according to close friend and chairperson of the Rhema Family Churches, pastor Bert Pretorius, after news of McCauley's death on Wednesday morning.
McCauley died on Tuesday night “surrounded by his family and loved ones”, his son and the church's senior pastor Joshua McCauley said.
Since then tributes have been pouring in for the well-known and, sometimes controversial, clergyman.
Among those to remember him were President Cyril Ramaphosa, who said McCauley's death “leaves our deeply spiritual nation bereft of a remarkable leader”.
It was a quiet and solemn mood at Rhema Bible Church North, in Randburg, on Wednesday morning as news of McCauley's death trickled in. A gardener could be seen working as staff members and congregants made their way into the church.
A small memorial site had been set up in front of the church's administration building where flowers were being dropped off by bereaved congregants. The church has invited the public to bring flowers to this campus in the lead up to his funeral.
Releasing details on this, they said a “comfort service” would be held on Thursday night in Randburg while an “honouring service” would follow on October 17. His funeral will take place on October 19 at 8am.
Pretorius, speaking outside the church, said McCauley's death was “sudden and unexpected” as he had been “quite strong these last couple of weeks”.
“I was with him at his birthday last week when he turned 75 ... and celebrated with him and his family. He was strong. It was sudden and unexpected, but at the same time he went peacefully. We are thankful for that,” he said.
A video emerged earlier this year showing a stooped and frail McCauley being ushered across the stage at a church conference. Despite his clearly advanced age, McCauley addressed delegates and shared that “the devil tried everything to stop me from coming here, but I'm here”.
Pretorius explained that he first came across McCauley when he was a young pastor in the 1990s.
“I got to meet him in 2006, 2007 personally when he invited me to come minister at his church and from then, we became great friends and very close. I came into his organisation and [was] ultimately appointed the chair two years ago.”
Sharing his last memory of McCauley, Pretorius spoke of the remarks McCauley made at a birthday party held for him on October 1, that “the best is yet to come”.
“Even with him struggling with his health, he was always positive and full of faith. He always had a passion for the country because that would be our conversations.
He was many things and I've learnt many things. One of the things that I admire the most is his diligence, focus and consistency. If he set his mind to do something, he did it regardless.
— Close friend pastor Giet Khosa
“He was a very funny person, he was a joy to be with and he would always get excited about [telling] an exciting story about his life. He would just spark up and just grab you ... he was like that with everyone. He loved to tell stories and always the funny ones, even at his own expense.”
Pretorius also revealed that McCauley spent his last few days reuniting with old friends, some who he had known for 30-40 years, who were in Gauteng for a church conference.
“He spent his last days [with] many of his friends ... [and] it was amazing that they all met him and were able to spend some time with him just before he passed. That was incredible.
In a tribute on X, Grace Bible Church founder Bishop Mosa Sono described McCauley as his spiritual father.
“Where does one begin to express the shock and feeling of losing someone that you have walked a long path with on the work of the church? A person who selflessly gave of himself to see you succeed in your calling,” Sono said.
Sono said McCauley would best be described as a big follower of Christ, a great teacher of the word, a visionary, a doting father, devoted husband, a patriot and a person who loved people.
“To me he was and will remain my spiritual father.”
Sono said McCauley had time for him and cared about his wellbeing, the work of his ministry and his family, including members of the Grace Bible Church.
“I have shared the story of my close bond with Pastor Ray on many platforms and hence I am so saddened by his passing, but we are consoled by the legacy he is leaving behind.
“He established the word of faith movement in the country, led the charismatic flow that was way ahead of where the country was at the time, socially relevant and multicultural.”
Another close friend and former Rhema Bible Church CEO pastor Giet Khosa said he was saddened by McCauley's death.
“But at the same time, he has run his race as we would say in the Christian faith. So he completed that race, we believe, but him leaving us is still sad and painful because we're going to miss his wisdom, coaching ... and his mentorship.
“Correcting us, pointing us in the right direction and fellowshipping with him. We were really close,” he said.
Khosa says he first met McCauley, at a distance, while working as a volunteer at Rhema between 1996-98. However, it would only be in 2000s when he moved up the church's ranks that the interaction grew close.
Khosa left the church in 2020 but said despite his exit, “I still met him on a weekly basis. Our relationship was not just [in the] office, it was outside. Father and son, if you will.”
The two last saw each other last week Friday, Khosa said, as he too confirmed that McCauley was “fine” during that interaction. The two spoke about sports and exchanged jokes throughout the meeting.
The World Changers Church pastor praised McCauley for his mentorship role he played and reflected on what he would miss the most about him.
“He was many things and I've learnt many things. One of the things that I admire the most is his diligence, focus and consistency. If he set his mind to do something, he did it regardless. He was also a balanced pastor, he knew how to have fun and be serious when he needed to be.
“I will miss just about everything because he was everything in my life. I look up to him as a [spiritual] father, mentor, coach and encourager.”
South African National Christian Forum (SANCF) president bishop Marothi Mashashane visited the church on Wednesday morning and paid tribute to the veteran theologian, especially for his stance against apartheid and the role he played in grooming upcoming pastors.
“We believe that he played his role [well], especially as a leader. You know that he started his leadership in the Christian sector during apartheid, but he was different and decided to go against the rules of the regime [by] welcoming the black community.
“He has been an instrument of influential action in the reconciliation [project] and continued to be an asset when it came to uniting different religious sectors.”
McCauley was a popular evangelist-style preacher who had been a bodybuilder and owner of a group of gymnasiums before turning to religion.
He founded Rhema Bible Church alongside his first wife Lyndie in 1979.
The church grew over the decades and with more than 45,000 members, is the single largest church congregation in Southern Africa, according to an obituary in BusinessLIVE.
He sparked controversy first over his two divorces from Lyndie then Zelda, who he later remarried, and an invitation he extended to former president Jacob Zuma, then yet to be elected president, to Rhema Bible Church.
In May 2022, McCauley handed the reins of the organisation to his son and Joshua's wife Tara, and stepped back from active church duties.
