SIN ME ONCE, SIN ME TWICE
A second divorce seems imminent for Rhema Bible Church leader Pastor Ray McCauley, 57.
The widely publicised marriage between McCauley and his wife Zelda seems to have hit rock-bottom and the couple have separated.
In 2000, when he was going through a divorce from his first wife Lyndie, McCauley said he did not believe in divorce and called it a sin.
At the time, spokesperson Ron Steele said: “It’s made him a better person with more compassion and understanding of the hurts of life,” Steele said. “His preaching in the past eight months has been the best I have heard him preach in 18 years.”
In an earlier interview with South African magazine You, McCauley’s former wife, Lyndie, described her marriage as “emotional torture” and “absolutely unbearable”. She told Charisma: “It’s very difficult to live with an angry man…who loses his temper a lot,” she said.
Lyndie McCauley claimed that at the same time her husband was promising to attend counseling he was continuing a pattern of emotional abuse, which she said included taking her credit cards, threatening her friends and excommunicating a family who helped her.
Three months after his first divorce, the “new love” in McCauley’s life was revealed to be Zelda Ireland, herself recently divorced for the second time. A former model, with three children aged 10, 18 and 22. Zelda admitted that during this time she “had always secretly admired McCauley”.
Ray McCauley married his new love on 28th July, 2001, in what the papers described as a “lavish, Victorian-themed ceremony at the Rhema Bible Church”. Zelda Ireland, referring to her third marriage to Ray McCauley, said, “It’s almost like I find myself being third time lucky. This time, it is going to be forever”. In a previous interview, she stated, “We’re having a wonderful time, my children are happy, everyone is just happy, happy, happy!”.
“I am looking forward to having a companion again. It’s been a long, hard and lonely road, but I hope to be able to get on with my life, serving God and the church,” said Pastor Ray.
Now it seems that Pastor Ray is about to sin for a second time.According to controversial pastor Dr Agrippa Khathide of the Apostolic Faith Mission of SA, “rumours of the divorce have been doing the rounds in religious circles and everyone had been hoping it was not true”.
“Divorce for anyone is unfortunate because it is a violation of that one-flesh reality that God wanted. You cannot share a life with someone for some time and remain unscathed when you divorce,” says Kathide, who uses sexually explicit sermons to save troubled marriages.
Though McCauley has not yet been served with a summons it is understood that his estranged wife remains adamant about the divorce.
His previous wife Lyndie recieved a generous pay-out to keep mum and to continue her lifestyle in the US. Just how much are going to be needed in the Sunday collection plate to keep Zelda mum ? LOTS …..
Sphere: Related Content
Tags: africa, Agrippa, bands, Bible, ceremony, charisma, christianity, companion, divorce, emo, Faith Mission, god, hurt, husband, Khathide, lifestyle, love, lyndie, marriage, mccauley, ray mccauley, rhema, rhema bible church, rock, save, sex, sin, south, south africa, spokesperson, style, summons, time, Victorian-themed, zelda, Zelda Ireland
Related posts
Ray has done so much for our Nation we should really think about that. All I have ever heard is how kind and generous he is from friends of mine who attend his church. I think this lady just took all she could and now that she has possible emptied out his pockets he is no longer appealing!! Guess now she will start blaming the church for everything … like most bitter people who appreciate nothing …
Were praying for you Ray .. work your way through this and come out stronger than before! Judging by your congregation they sure love you! Must be something you have that others dont know about …. GO FOR IT!
Comment made by I love Jesus on 20080118 @ 2132 BRAVO
Pastor Ray you are a true leader and a good Father. I have grown so much spiritually through your sermons.
You show so much love to your cogregation and those around you. We are praying and believing that you come out of this stronger and more victorious.
Keep up the good work…I love you Pastor.
Comment made by prudence on 20080121 @ 0944 BRAVO
I also support Pastor Ray. He has been my pastor since 1984. I have heard that Zelda was the woman who tried to steal Sonja Herholdts husband from her and that the daughter at school with Joshua is the very child from that relationship. Zelda would sit in the front row at the old Rhema in Jan Smuts and push the baby’s pram and stare at Sonja ministering in song. What were you thinking Pastor Ray? Nevermind, I will marry you.
Comment made by Msedena on 20080121 @ 1310 BRAVO
Pst Ray is a Man of God and I support him throught this difficult trying time , He has given of himself for many years for South Africa and the Christian Community , God will see Him through
Comment made by Wayne on 20080122 @ 1437 BRAVO
His wife is a fruit cake, and Ray was really unwise and didnt hear God by marrying her. Lets be honest, and call a spade a spake. He hasnt been an example in this at all…
Comment made by Sepho on 20080122 @ 2333 BRAVO
Pastor I think now is time for you not to marry again, God has blessed you with many family which is your church just keep up the good work and and forget about third wife God bless
Comment made by Octavia on 20080124 @ 1341 BRAVO
I choose to remember all those days when I needed to hear from God and Ray ministered on television and I looked forward to another day. I think of reconsilation in SA Ray was there, I think of all the people who gave their lives to God, Ray was there. Today I look at all the GOOD the man has done and the lives he has influanced and ask YOU that is prepared to through another stone…WHO will you inspire by taking about the negative in Ray’s life? We all have sined and come short of the Glory but praise God for Calvery!! I pray for you Son of God coz I know he’s straigth is made full in our weakness!
Comment made by Des Martins on 20080127 @ 1301 BRAVO
Zelda is a ‘Delilah’ .. she is after money! Suddenly she wants to reconcile after knowing she gets nothing in a divorce. Guess what made her reconcile … a ‘lavish’ trip to Dubai!! How pathetic .. Ray wake up this woman is a harlot sent to destroy your life, the church and all those she comes in contact with. The bible says ‘you know them by their fruit’! Two children out of wedlock .. three marriages, brokenness, pain and confusion is all around her now she is actively breaking the staff and people at the church. What game is she playing .. Ray needs to be delivered from this very obvious demonized woman who only lusts after power and money and like Delilah to destroy the annointing!
Comment made by Lynn Smith on 20080203 @ 1645 BRAVO
what a shame this al is!
Comment made by I love Jesus on 20080204 @ 2002 BRAVO
To sit in judgment on others is a sin like any other. Ray is an anointed preacher who loves the Lord and does wonderful work in the body of Christ. Don’t focus on what is perceived as “wrong”. Rather look at all the good he is doing. God is blessing him and as the Bible says, God wants His children to have ABUNDANT life in all respects, this includes having enough money to do good to others as well as yourself. Do you really think God will bless Rhema Church to grow the way it is, if Ray was stealing the money as some think??? I think not! Anyway, we should not worry about what happens to the money. God’s instruction is to “bring it into the storehouse (church)” and what the church does with it, is between them and God, for not us to criticise. Rhema is one of the few churches that really put their money where their mouth is. They REALLY help those in need, so leave them alone!
Comment made by NW on 20080206 @ 0900 BRAVO
The fact remains - Ray is the leader of the Rhema Church, and thus sets the example for others to follow. He should be above reproach. All the tools and mechacnisms are available to him to ensure the coduct that is becoming of a pastor in his position. This is also not the first time this has happened. His first wife, Lyndie threatened to “tell all”. She was silenced with a substantial financial package and banished to Florida. The currant wife, Zelda is not going to go easy, make no mistake, temporally reconcilliation et all. Irrespective of pre-nuptial agreements or other, she is not going to ride off into the sunset empty handed either. She will have no mercy. She wants a lifestyle wthout Ray. What is amazing is that the Church Elders are tollerating Ray’s poor judgement in companians. Is Ray’s ego bigger than the church he created? Ray may do a lot of good, but his judgement and conduct is surely lacking in this ongoing soap opera.
Comment made by Taz on 20080206 @ 1415 BRAVO