The Believers In Christ Church in Gauteng has been rocked by a r_ape scandal. Sunday World Newspaper reports that an audio recording has leaked of the wife of one of the leaders’ late brother revealing that he raped her at her house.
The Sunday World obtained a recording of the woman reporting the incident to her church elder and a colleague of the alleged rapist.
The woman revealed that the man arrived at her house in de Deur after she told him she wanted to go to an Easter service conference but did not have bus fare.
He sent a child that was in the house to the shops to buy drinks and then forced himself on her. He later sent her R1000 to her bank account.
The Believers In Christ Church is a prominent Pentecostal church with a growing presence in South Africa and Eswatini. Established in 1984 and headquartered in Gauteng, it has multiple branches spread across several key regions: about one-third of its branches are at the headquarters, 24% are in Mpumalanga, 22% in Newcastle, and roughly 21% in the Eswatini Kingdom.
While the exact total number of branches and members is not publicly disclosed, the church’s widespread regional presence indicates a vibrant community within the Pentecostal movement. Pentecostal churches in South Africa typically attract thousands of members per branch, suggesting that the Believers In Christ Church likely serves several thousand worshippers collectively.
Leadership is a defining feature of the church’s structure. The founder and Archbishop is Prof. Mshengu Muzi Tshabalala, who leads alongside the First Lady, Bishop Dr. Mamoruti Florence Tshabalala. Mrs. Thembeka Radebe serves as the General Overseer, steering the church’s mission and growth.
Prof. Mshengu Muzi Tshabalala was born to the late Archbishop Willie Mahlamvulane Tshabalala and Elizabeth Siphiwe Sibiya. Archbishop Willie Mahlamvulane Tshabalala was a notable figure, but there is no publicly available information regarding whether he had any siblings.
