2 minute read
The Legacy of a World Changer
Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke was a living reflection of courage, commitment, conviction, credibility, compassion, humility and sold-out service to the call of God on his life.
It was there, in the small mountain kingdom of Lesotho, that God placed upon his heart the vision of “the continent of Africa, washed in the precious Blood of Jesus”
He was affectionately known as “God’s General” and “The Billy Graham of Africa.” He spent a remarkable 60 of his 79 years preaching the Gospel and would often say that his life’s mission was to “plunder Hell to populate Heaven.”
The son of a pastor, Reinhard Bonnke gave his life to the Lord at age nine and heard the call to the mission field before he was even a teenager. After attending Bible college in Wales, he became a pastor in Germany for seven years, and then went on to start mission work in southern Africa.
It was there, in the small mountain kingdom of Lesotho, that God placed upon his heart the vision of “the continent of Africa, washed in the precious Blood of Jesus”—an entire continent, from Cape Town to Cairo and from Dakar to Djibouti—that needed to be reached and to hear the proclamation of the signs following Gospel.
In 1984, he commissioned the construction of the world’s largest mobile structure at the time, a tent capable of seating 34,000 people!
He began holding meetings in a tent that accommodated 800 people. As attendance increased, larger and larger tents had to be purchased until finally, in 1984, he commissioned the construction of the world’s largest mobile structure at the time, a tent capable of seating 34,000 people!
The mobile structure at the time, a tent capable of seating 34,000 people!
Soon, the attendance at his meetings exceeded the capacity of this huge structure, and he began open-air Gospel campaigns with an initial gathering of more than 150,000 people.
In 1974, Reinhard founded Christ for All Nations with the goal of reaching the entire continent of Africa with the Gospel.
At one such rally in Lagos, Nigeria, held in 2000, more than 6 million people came out to hear him preach.
The ministry increased the number of crusades held per year in Africa and also began to branch out to Asia by holding one crusade per year in that part of the world. Crusades followed in Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, India and South America. Each event resulted in tens of thousands receiving Jesus Christ as their Savior, and multitudes were healed and delivered from demonic forces.
As part of the ministry’s discipleship training program, over 185.5 million copies of CfaN books and booklets have been published in 103 languages and printed in 55 countries. Millions of books have been freely given (“seeded”) throughout the world.
To continue reading this fascinating article of our founder Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke. Please CLICK BELOW
