Reinhard Bonnke. You remember him. Reinhard Bonnke is a German Pentecostal evangelist, principally known for his gospel missions throughout Africa. Bonnke has been an evangelist and missionary in Africa since 1967. Bonnke has overseen 75 million recorded conversions to Christ.
The news: the evangelism guru is set to return in a final lap of his world outreach, which has made him one of the most successful preachers of the gospel in modern times.
The Septuagenarian preacher will hold a five-day crusade and a three-day multi-purpose ministers’ fire conference on what his team, Christ for All Nations, says will rescue the country from spiritual pollution and socio-political corruption.
CFaN officials, led by its African Director, John Darku, expect more than 10 million people across Africa at the crusade billed to hold at the large expanse of land close to Sparklight Estate, diagonally opposite OPIC Plaza, Isheri Osun, Lagos/Ibadan Expressway in November.
Bonnke, a renowned German preacher, has visited more than 200 countries with his life-transforming crusades leaving healing, repentance and prosperity in his trail.
Although the Lagos outing will be the last of Bonnke’s international crusade, CFaN will continue to carry on with its global evangelism project.
Darku said the CfaN anticipates conversion of many souls to Christ as Bonnke delivers his farewell message a crowd of worshippers in Nigeria.
Darku said: “One of the highlights of the crusade will be a Passing The Burning Torch Conference for leaders and church workers. Bonnke is believing God for many thousands of pastors and evangelists from around the globe to be inspired to evangelism.”
Darku told journalists that the crusade promises to be the best of its kind just as he hinted of plans to recruit more than 500,000 counsellors, 200,000 intercessors, a choir of over 23,000 and a security force of over 10,000.
He said: “There is great excitement from all the churches in the country, and we are expecting a spectacular harvest of people coming to Christ.”
Lead evangelist of CfaN and successor to Bonnke, Daniel Kolenda, expressed optimism that the landmark crusade will transform the church not only in Nigeria but also across the continent.
Kolenda said: “I’m thrilled to join with Reinhard in this vision, and know that the results of this crusade will be farther reaching and of even greater consequence than we can even imagine.”
Expressing the optimism that the mother-of-all-crusades in Lagos would be an explosion in line with God’s commission to Bonnke, Kolenda said: “Ever since God gave Evangelist Bonnke a vision for a blood-washed Africa – a continent washed in the blood of Jesus Christ – over 40 years ago, he has been filled with a burning commitment to win the continent for Jesus.”
Nigeria is troubled on many fronts as its economy struggles out of recession. Cases of armed robberies, kidnappings, cultism and ritual killings have not only become widespread, but have also further compounded the country’s economic woes as youth unemployment escalates and politicians squabble for pecuniary things, Apostle Alexander Bamgbola, the Chairman Central Working Committee of the Crusade said, adding: “All these have fouled the air, putting the country in greater need of spiritual cleansing.”
The organizers also said all Christian groups will effectively participate in the all-important crusade that will also pray for Nigeria’s socio-political leadership and revival.
According to Apostle Bamgbola: “For the Crusade to be planned at this period of grave challenges for our beleaguered city and nation indicates a gathering momentum in the heavenlies that will turn out providential not only for Lagos, but indeed for our country, which is pivotal to global evangelization.”
He urged believers to see the crusade as “God’s programme deliberately orchestrated to redeem famished souls of millions and transform our sin-laden environment with salvation”.
Bamgbola, however, noted that it would take faithful, available, capable and teachable saints to fully appropriate this lofty and elevated vision.
CFaN described Bonnke’s return to Nigeria for his final international crusade as divine because the global preacher has specific revelation and call to help the country fix its social fabrics and economy.
According to Darku’s remarks, Bonnke strongly believes that the evangelism conference will “plunder hell and populate heaven”.
An excited Bonnke, who sent out an invitation on his Facebook wall, said: “Hello Friends, I have a special announcement for you today! I am returning to Lagos, Nigeria for my ‘Farewell Crusade’ in November of this year! This will be a truly momentous event, where we believe millions will, not only hear the Gospel, but will be saved, healed, and delivered! As much as I am concerned, I am inviting the whole world.”
Bonnke, 77, has helped over 75,913,155 people make salvation decisions over the last three decades and plans to pass on the torch to a younger generation of evangelists led by CfaN’s lead evangelist and Bonnke’s successor, Kolenda.
The Lord spoke to me, that I should go back for one more crusade in Africa,” Bonnke was quoted as saying, adding: “I want not only to see a gigantic harvest of souls, but to pass my burning torch to this generation. Recently, I traveled to Lagos, Nigeria to meet with the spiritual leadership there and they gave their unanimous support. I believe God is going to do something I have never seen before.”
