On December 5, 2024, the Christian Revival Church's London branch posted a celebratory message on Facebook congratulating Pastor At Boshoff and his wife Nyretta on their wedding anniversary. The post featured a smiling photograph of the couple, accompanied by warm wishes for their continued union.
There was just one problem: by that date, Adam Johannes Jakobus Boshoff and Ngaretta Boshoff were already divorced.
Court documents obtained by this publication reveal that the founder and senior pastor of one of South Africa's largest megachurches – with over 120,000 members across 90 churches globally – had his unopposed divorce finalized in the Gauteng Local Division of the High Court in Johannesburg on October 18, 2024. The case, listed as number 2024-076649, appeared at the top of Judge Noko J's divorce roll that day.
Yet two months later, CRC's international branches were still publicly celebrating a marriage that no longer existed. More troublingly, the congregation of 20,000 weekly attendees across Bloemfontein, Pretoria, and Johannesburg – the very people Pastor Boshoff leads in spiritual matters – appear to have been kept in the dark.
The Timeline of Deception
According to Rapport newspaper, which broke the story on December 20, Boshoff had been separated from his wife "for more than a year" before the divorce was finalized. This means the separation likely occurred in late 2023 or early 2024, yet throughout this period:
The official court record is unambiguous. On that Friday in October, Pastor At Boshoff's divorce was one of 30 cases on the unopposed roll – meaning Nyretta did not contest the proceedings. The matter was handled quietly, efficiently, and without any public announcement to the thousands who look to Boshoff for spiritual guidance.
A Biblical Standard Ignored
The irony is stark. The Bible that Pastor Boshoff preaches from every Sunday contains explicit instructions about the qualifications for church leadership. In 1 Timothy 3:2-5, the Apostle Paul writes that an overseer must be "above reproach, faithful to his wife... He must manage his own family well... If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?"
The issue is not whether divorce disqualifies someone from ministry – Christians hold varying views on this matter, particularly when there are biblical grounds such as adultery or abandonment. The issue is integrity.
"Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body," reads Ephesians 4:25. Yet for months, potentially over a year, the CRC congregation was not given the truth about their pastor's marital status.
James 3:1 warns: "Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly." The passage recognizes that those who lead in spiritual matters are held to higher standards of truthfulness and accountability.
Pastor Boshoff failed that standard.
The Megachurch Accountability Crisis
This case illuminates a broader crisis in South African megachurch culture: the almost complete absence of meaningful accountability for celebrity pastors.
CRC operates as a multi-million rand empire. Boshoff is described by News24 as a multimillionaire, living in a mansion and driving expensive cars. The church owns massive debt-free properties, including a 7,000-seater auditorium in Pretoria and a 5,500-seater in Bloemfontein. Boshoff's sermons are broadcast across Africa, America, Russia, India, Pakistan, and Europe, reaching millions.
Yet there appears to be no governance structure that required him to disclose his divorce to his congregation. No board of elders who demanded transparency. No accountability mechanism that protected the thousands of members who tithe faithfully, believing their pastor embodies the biblical standards he preaches.
Questions that demand answers:
To CRC Leadership:
- When did the church board learn of Pastor Boshoff's separation and divorce?
- Why was the congregation not informed?
- What accountability structures exist to ensure pastoral transparency?
- Who authorized the continued public portrayal of Boshoff as married?
- Why was the anniversary post allowed on social media two months after the divorce?
To Pastor Boshoff:
- Did you consider resigning or stepping back from public ministry during this period?
- How do you reconcile preaching biblical standards while concealing your personal life?
- What explanation do you owe the 120,000 members of CRC worldwide?
- Did you seek counsel from fellow pastors or denominational leaders?
To CRC's International Branches:
- Were international pastors informed of the divorce before posting anniversary congratulations?
- What oversight exists between CRC headquarters and satellite churches?
As of publication, CRC has not responded to requests for comment. Pastor Boshoff's representatives have not issued any statement.
The Prosperity Gospel's Poisoned Fruit
CRC is part of South Africa's prosperity gospel movement – churches that emphasize wealth, success, and personal blessing as signs of God's favor. Dr. Jurgens Hendriks, head of Practical Theology at Stellenbosch University, has noted that this theology creates a culture where pastors "compete against each other with expensive cars and palaces."
The prosperity gospel's focus on the pastor's success and blessing creates a dangerous dynamic: the leader becomes the brand, and protecting that brand supersedes biblical accountability.
These charismatic pastors provide something different from orthodox churches by telling their followers that God blesses those he favours with riches," theologian Desmond Lambrechts of the Ecumenical Foundation of South Africa told News24 in 2015. The downside of this celebrity pastor culture is now painfully evident.
When a pastor becomes a brand, truth becomes negotiable. Image management replaces integrity. Public relations trump pastoral responsibility.
The Betrayal of the Faithful
Consider the CRC member who tithes faithfully, believing their pastor models biblical marriage. Consider the couple in marriage counseling at CRC, looking to their pastoral leadership for guidance. Consider the young person being taught about Christian integrity and honesty.
What message does this send?
That the rules apply to the congregation but not to leadership? That deception is acceptable if it protects the church's image? That pastors exist in a separate category, exempt from the transparency they demand of others?
The damage extends beyond CRC. Every church in South Africa that preaches biblical authority is weakened when a prominent pastor prioritizes image over truth. Every Christian who tries to live with integrity faces harder questions from skeptics when leaders behave hypocritically.
A Pattern Across South African Megachurches
CRC is not alone in its accountability failures. South Africa's megachurch landscape is littered with scandals where celebrity pastors operated without meaningful oversight:
- Ray McCauley of Rhema Bible Church, despite "two divorces and a couple of scandals," according to News24, continues to lead one of Africa's largest churches
- Multiple prosperity gospel pastors have faced allegations of financial impropriety with little consequence
- The "celebrity pastor" culture creates power dynamics where questioning leadership is seen as attacking God's anointed
The common thread: massive congregations, enormous wealth, media platforms reaching millions, and virtually no independent accountability.
What Must Change
This scandal should trigger urgent reforms across South Africa's church landscape:
1. Independent Governance Boards Megachurches must have boards with genuine authority, including independent members not beholden to the senior pastor. These boards must have power to demand disclosure and enforce accountability.
2. Financial Transparency Churches operating at CRC's scale should publish detailed financial statements. Members deserve to know how their tithes are used and what the pastor's compensation includes.
3. Mandatory Disclosure Requirements Major life changes affecting a pastor's qualification for ministry – including divorce, legal troubles, or ethical violations – must be disclosed to the congregation within a reasonable timeframe.
4. Denominational Accountability While many megachurches operate independently, voluntary submission to denominational oversight would provide external accountability.
5. Cultural Shift Away from Celebrity Pastors The church must return to biblical models of plural leadership and shared authority rather than the cult of personality surrounding individual leaders.
The Road Ahead
As this article goes to publication, Pastor At Boshoff's Instagram biography still claims he is "Married to @ngaretta_boshoff." The CRC website still describes Pastors At and Nyretta as co-founders who minister together. The facade continues.
But the truth is now public record, preserved in case number 2024-076649 in the Gauteng High Court. The question is whether CRC's 120,000 members worldwide will demand answers, or whether the celebrity pastor culture is so entrenched that accountability remains impossible.
For the faithful members of CRC who trusted their pastor to model biblical integrity, who supported the ministry financially and spiritually, who looked to their leaders for truth – they deserve better than deception.
The Bible Pastor Boshoff preaches from is clear: "The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy" (Proverbs 12:22).
It's time for South Africa's megachurch pastors to decide which category they want to fall into.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This publication attempted to contact Christian Revival Church headquarters in Bloemfontein, CRC Pretoria, CRC Johannesburg, and Pastor At Boshoff's representatives multiple times via phone and email. No responses were received by time of publication. We remain open to publishing CRC's response in full should they choose to provide one.
