Rhema ATM

This is a story that really amused me and was reported in the Sunday Times last Sunday.

We all know the Rhema church and the influence it has had on South African religion. A bit like Lord of the Rings, there are those who love it, and those who don't.

I, for one, am old fashioned and don't believe you should feel obligated to pay membership fees to belong to a church. Oh, okay, they call them tithes, but a rose by any other name. Rhema collects some R70 million per annum on these fees, er, I mean,  tithes.
The head of the cult, or some would call it, a church, Pastor Ray McCauley, came from humble begginings before being called on one day, by God to, build a get rich quick scheme. And it worked.

Rhema has fast become a massive force and Ray McCauley has become a celebrity in his own right. Over and above this, when a public figure is in trouble and there is lots of press coverage, you are bound to see old Ray there.
It is plain that he loves the limelight and rubbing shoulders with the 'big wigs'. His latest conquest appears to be President Jacob Zuma. (Ray invited Zuma to talk shop at one of the services. When other political parties complained, Ray, in good Christian fashion said anybody may stand up and talk. Funny though, that requests by other parties were turned down). Since then, they have been seen together on numerous occasions and now Ray is convener of the Interfaith Committee that will fix South African morals......riiight.

Currently, they reside in a beachfront shack worth some R6,5 million on the KZN coast. They preach weekly in Randburg-so like all poor people, they fly up every week and back down again. In their defence though, they are talking of selling up and moving to Randburg, which is one of the poorer suburbs in South Africa. Got to feel for the sacrifice they are going to make.

It is also common knowledge that Pastor Ray and his playboy mansion looking wife, have a taste for the finer things in life. They were married in a lavish,star studded event, paid for by the church and other contributors (according to You magazine, who had exclusive rights to cover it)
Zelda (his wife of course) wears Victoria secret undies, smarting Ferdi bags and so on. Her reason for wearing Victoria Secret- 'a woman has got to feel good about how she looks'. In a 2004 interview, Zelda proudly stated that she set aside Wednesdays for 'personal pampering'- including botox treatments and good old massages-saying 'My appearance is important to me'(Is Vanity not one of the deadly sins?) Then blaming God for her vanity- 'I believe God expects a wife to look good for her husband'...bet it says so in the Bible hey!!
Is is widely held that Ray earns about R100 000 a month from Rhema. (Is Greed not another of those sins?)
It has been  reported that Ray would not bat an eyelid when spending R365 on a bottle of Meerlust Merlot, running up food bills of R25 000 in just over a month. (Gluttony, another).

You get the picture I am sure.  For Ray's (surprise, so they say) birthday party, held at the Sandton Convention Centre, obviously due to it's budget tailored prices, his son sent invitaions out, as one always does. Together with the invitation, his ever so thoughtful son, attached a desperate plea that he needed help to get his father out of debt. (I will give you time to read that a few more times)
Apparently his son, Joshua, would like him to go into his sixties, debt free. "Huh?" was my first thought.


 It is rumoured that both Ray and Zelda love to shop-having both mentioned it in interviews. Now for somebody to earn a salary of that magnitude and to build up so much debt,  is just pure excess. The sad thing is, many in the 40-45 000 strong Rhema congregation, will, upon hearing this, jump onto this idea wagon and offer their help. Freely giving from their own pockets to help fund the repayment of this debt. (One born every minute)
In my view, Rhema should be contributing most of their profits to charity, operating like a non profitable organisation. I cannot and will not accept that religion should be a money making business. I also do not understand why the head of the church has to earn so much money. I do not agree that he has to mingle in politics or hob nob with celebrities or even be treated like one.
But most of all, I do not agree that he has to get other people, no matter who they may be, to help him escape a debt trap that he has dug himself from a spade of pure greed and excess.

He should take responsibility and stop spending so willy nilly, cut back on the bunny's beauty treatment, spend less on entertainment.....and who knows, he may actually be able to use his over inflated salary to repay the debt that he has made. The church, nor friends should not be seen as a personal ATM.

Take responsibility and set the example.