Margaret Reynolds aka Margie Zacharias was Ravi Zacharias’ wife of 48 years. Zacharias died on May 19 at 74 following a battle with cancer. The couple had three children, Sarah, Nathan and Naomi, in addition to five grandchildren.
Zacharias, Christian apologist, was the Indian born founder of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. According to a press release from the ministry, which was written by his daughter Sarah, Zacharias and Reynolds had recently celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary. The couple met at a youth church group and were married on May 7, 1972.
In March 2020, a spokesperson for Zacharias announced that he had been diagnosed with sarcoma, rare cancer that affects the bone and soft tissue. In the press release announcing his death, Sarah Zacharias said that her father returned from receiving chemotherapy in Houston to be at home in Atlanta.
1. In 2018, Zacharias Joked About How ‘Similar’ & Reynolds’ Wedding Was to Prince Harry & Meghan Markle’s
In various posts on Zacharias’ Twitter page, the apologist regularly referred to his wife as Margie. On May 6, Zacharias paid tribute to his wife on the eve of their wedding anniversary tweeting, “48 years ago she gave me her hand in marriage. By now she has given her everything. I can never repay you, Margie. I love you with my whole heart. Red heart #HappyAnniversary.”
Zacharias joked in May 2018 on Twitter that his wedding to Reynolds was “similar” to the royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. In March 2016, he posted a photo of he and Reynolds together with the caption, “Always a delight when my wife, Margie, is with me on the road. She is an amazing woman & a treasured gift from God.”
2. Margaret Reynolds Said in a 2019 Interview That She & Her Husband Created Traditions Around Religious Festivals Based on the ‘Truth’
Twitter/Ravi Zacharias
Reynolds said in a 2019 interview with the RZIM website that she and Zacharias sought to create traditions for their children that were based on the “truth” about religious festivals. Reynolds said that this was not used for celebrations such as Christmas and Easter but also Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day. Reynolds did stress that the couple did not take the fun out of religious festivals but would teach their children the real background behind the feasts.
Speaking specifically about how the family celebrated Christmas, Reynolds said:
At Christmas, we incorporated a custom we first saw practiced in Jordan and used it to teach the children our oneness not just as a family but as part of God’s family because He had sent his son to earth.
3. Zacharias Described His Wife as a ‘Beautiful Blend of the Irish & Scottish’
Instagram/Ravi Zacharias
Zacharias said in a 2018 blog post, in which he again referenced the similarities between the couple’s wedding and the royal wedding, that he felt his wife was a “beautiful blend of the Irish and Scottish.” Zacharias said in the post that the couple was married in Windsor, Ontario with their wedding reception taking place at a Howard Johnson’s.
Zacharias also wrote that prior to the couple’s wedding, there had been a sanitation worker strike in Toronto that had last weeks. The only area of the city that did not have garbage bags piled high was the airport. Therefore, the majority of the couple’s wedding photos have the airport in the background.
4. In 2017, Zacharias Was Forced to Deny Rumors He Had Been Sexting Another Woman
Instagram/Ravi Zacharias
In late 2017, Zacharias was accused of sexting and soliciting sexual material via email from a Canadian ministry worker named Lori Anne Thompson. Zacharias responded to Thompson’s allegations by launching a lawsuit against her. The case was settled in November 2017. After the settlement, Zacharias denied that he had eve been unfaithful to Reynolds during their marriage. Zacharias also said that he never met Thompson “alone, publicly or privately.”
Zacharias did accept responsibility for being “a willing participant in any extended communication with a woman, not my wife.” Zacharias also said that he “failed to exercise wise caution and to protect [himself] from even the appearance of impropriety,” reported Christianity Today in 2017.
5. Reynolds Said Her Secret to Being a Good Mother: ‘Do Your Best Before God & Leave the Rest to Him’
Reynolds said in her 2019 blog post on RZIM’s website that she felt as though the secret to being a good mother was to, “Do you best before God and leave the rest to him.” Reynolds said that she felt that it was important to lean “on the lord for wisdom and insight.” She stressed that there are no perfect parents and no perfect children.
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