Illness claims 'comforter': Leader of IPHC passes away
By Sibongile Mashaba and Veli Nhlapo | Feb 10, 2016 |
The leader of one of the biggest churches in South Africa, Glayton Modise, has died.
CAPTION: His grace the comforter Glayton Modise and his wife Mamohau Modise of International Pentecostal Holiness Church in Zuurbekom. Picture: Veli Nhlapho
Modise, known to congregants at the International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC) as "Comforter", died yesterday at Mediclinic Morningside, Johannesburg, due to an unknown illness.
His ill-health was confirmed to the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities when church spokesman Oupa Mosalakae, Modise's son Tshepiso and other members appeared last month.
They submitted a letter to the commission, stating that Modise could not honour the summonses because he was sick.
Mosalakae said Modise died at 7.13am.
"His passing comes after a short period of ill-health. His Grace was 76 years old. The service will take place at the IPHC HQ, Silo, on Friday [at] 9am," the statement from the church read.
At the church headquarters in Zuurbekom on the West Rand yesterday, there was a lot of activity with cars driving in and out.
Sources told Sowetan that an urgent meeting was held to discuss the logistics.
Modise, who had two wives Mapoloko and Mamohau, lived in a house in the church yard. He inherited the church from his late father who died in 1998.
The church, which was established by his father Reverend Frederick Modise in Meadowlands, Soweto, in 1962 is better known as Modise Church.
It is known for practising polygamy but when it appeared before the commission, Mosalakae said it was not church policy for people to enter into polygamous marriages.
When asked about the church's succession plan at the hearing last month, Mosalakae said the church was not a family church.
"Even the founder himself said that this was not a family church. Even the current leader is saying that this is not a family church.
"Now, what happens is, the founder anointed him [Glayton]. The current leader is the one to decide who to anoint," explained Mosalakae.
Sowetan could not immediately establish whether Modise had chosen his successor before he died.
The IPHC has 350 branches across the country and beyond the borders, with a membership of 3.1 million.
Modise was embroiled in a battle over the leadership of the church with his brother-in-law, Bobo Bethuel Modise, several years ago.
Bobo later formed his own church, the International Comforters Holiness Church. The clothing and other symbols of the two churches are similar.
Bobo is married to Modise's sister Jacqueline.
mashabas@sowetan.co.za
SOURCE: Sowetan
SOURCE: Sowetan
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