Pastor Ray McCauley Senior Pastor of Rhema Bible Church South Africa was one of the most prominent influential South African Christian leaders. He was also the President of the Rhema Family Churches, Co-Chairman of the National Religious Leaders Council (NRLC) SA, and a regular contributor to the Star Newspaper to comment on current affairs in the country.
Pastor Ray McCauley was born in Johannesburg on 1 October 1949. He took a keen interest in bodybuilding, was a former Mr South Africa and took part in the Mr Universe bodybuilding championships in London in 1974 where he finished in third place.
Pastor Ray McCauley was born again in 1969 and immediately started to share his faith in Jesus Christ his Lord and Savior. He attended Bible College at Rhema Bible Training Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma during 1978/9. On his return to South Africa the McCauleys’ started Rhema Bible Church under Rhema Ministries SA in the home of his parents, which 13 people attended. Membership grew and the church moved into the Constantia Cinema in Rosebank, Johannesburg. The church outgrew its premises and moved to a warehouse in Jan Smuts Avenue in Randburg. In 1985 the church moved into the newly constructed 5,000 seater auditorium in Randburg, Johannesburg. The new church was dedicated on 16 June 1985 by Dr Kenneth E Hagin, the late founder of Rhema Ministries in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The auditorium was later upgraded to more than 7,500 seats to accommodate the growth of the church. Today the church is the single largest church in South Africa.
Towards the end of the apartheid era, Pastor Ray McCauley and his associates were involved in numerous critical events that helped with the peaceful transition to a democratic nation in 1994. Pastor Ray McCauley had a vibrant relevant television ministry that was watched all over South Africa and in many parts of Africa. His words of encouragement, clear and inspiring messages have resulted in many people giving their lives to God whilst sitting in front of their television sets. He was a well-known speaker at church events around the world.
Pastor Ray McCauley has been one of the most influential Christian leaders in South Africa celebrating over 40 years in fulltime ministry since 1979. Pastor Ray (as he is affectionately known) is an enigma to those who watch him from a distance. He is white and his congregation is predominantly black. He pastored Rhema Bible Church North, situated in Randburg, a congregation with an attendance over the years of over 15 000, every Sunday. The Rhema congregation is reflection of the racial demographic of the country. In fact, at a time when Sunday morning was the most segregated time in South Africa, Pastor Ray pioneered the concept of a multiracial church, much to the unease of the then Apartheid government. But this aspect of his calling – the promotion of interracial harmony and fellowship – was already determined by the time he started in ministry. At his ordination in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA, in 1979 (after completing his studies at Rhema Bible Training Centre Tulsa), Dr Fred Price prophesied about the role Pastor Ray would play in uniting black and white people in South Africa.
Pastor Ray started Rhema with about 13 people in the lounge of his parents’ home. He then moved to a 600-seater local cinema, the Constantia in Orange Grove. After a while, the congregation outgrew the venue and it had to move to bigger premises in the heart of Johannesburg, hiring the Colosseum theatre which could seat 2 000 people. In 1982 Pastor Ray and his rapidly growing congregation moved to a building on Jan Smuts Avenue in Randburg and in no time made an offer to purchase it. The building housed the church’s auditorium, a Bible-training centre that Pastor Ray had established as well as staff offices.
It soon became apparent that a much bigger venue was needed. Ever the visionary and big thinker, Pastor Ray led the church in acquiring a large piece of land in Randpark Ridge upon which the current premises stand. The main auditorium currently seats 7 200 people.
Pastor Ray’s vibrant and relevant television ministry has been watched all over South Africa and in many parts of Africa, thus making him a household name and a face that is easily recognisable.
Pastor Ray is the Founding Pastor of Rhema Bible Church North, President of Rhema Ministries, SA, and was President of Rhema Family Churches. Many Pastors and church affiliates across the country desire to identify with the legacy of Pastor Ray McCauley and Rhema Bible Church North – resulting in the formation of Rhema Family Churches.
In early 2022, Pastor Ray McCauley, the Founding Pastor, together with the Executive Board, initiated the transition of handing over the leadership of the church to his son and daughter-in-law. This generational transition officially took place in a Succession Service held on 01 May 2022, when Pastors Joshua and Tara were anointed and appointed as the new Senior Pastors of Rhema Bible Church North. As the Founding Pastor, Pastor Ray continued to preach regularly and worked closely with Joshua and Tara, helping to guide them into the future.
Pastor Ray loved South Africa and the continent of Africa. He believed the impact of this continent on the world has yet to come and greater days for Africa lie ahead. Pastor Ray was married to Zelda and between them they have five children and seven grandchildren.