Reinhard Bonnke

Reinhard Bonnke
Reinhard Bonnke speaking
Name:	Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke
Ministry:	Christ for All Nations
Souls won for Christ:	79 MN in 79 years

Reinhard Bonnke (April 19, 1940 – December 7, 2019) was a German-American Pentecostal Evangelist, who labored very mightily for the cause of the Gospel of Christ, especially in Africa. He has been called a "giant and a general in the Army of God". He is the founder of the Christ For All Nations (CFAN) evangelistic ministry.

Early Life

Reinhard Bonnke was born on 19 April 1940, in East Prussia, Germany, the son of an army logistics officer. "Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke was principally known for his Great Gospel Crusades throughout Africa. The son of a pastor, Reinhard surrendered his life to Christ at age nine, and heard the call to the African mission field before he was a teenager."

Mission Work

Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke conducted many Gospel Crusades, especially in the Continent of Africa. Reinhard was born in a pastor's family and gave his life to the Lord at age nine. He heard the call to the African mission field in his pre-teen years. He attended Bible College in Wales. After ordination in Germany he pastored a church before starting missionary work in Africa. It was in the small mountain kingdom of Lesotho that Reinhard said that God placed upon his heart the vision of ‘the continent of Africa, being 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 wonder-working Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The vision had promised him "Africa will be saved" at a time when this seemed to be, humanly speaking, impossible. In later years, with the dream having now become a manifest reality, Bonnke no longer said "Africa will be saved" but, "Africa is being saved". Bonnke would later apply these same principles to his dream for America, declaring "America will be saved" one day. Over the 79 years of his life, it is estimated that over 79 million people - a million for each year of his life - came to Christ as a result of Bonnke's ministry.

Death

Bonnke passed into eternity on December 7, 2019.. His wife announced his passing, writing, "Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It is with sorrow that the Bonnke Family would like to announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, and grandfather, Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke. He passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on December 7, 2019. For the past 60 years he has preached the glorious Gospel of Jesus throughout the entire world. We want to thank you on behalf of him and our family, for your kind love and unwavering support".

Legacy

Daniel Kolenda, successor of Reinhard Bonnke at CFAN, paid tribute to his mentor, saying, "It is with great sadness that I and the entire Christ for All Nations family announces the death of our founder, friend and spiritual father, Reinhard Bonnke.

All told, more than 79-million people made Christ their Lord as a result of Evangelist Bonnke’s ministry. Bonnke was best known for his gospel outreach campaigns throughout Africa. It is no exaggeration to say that his work transformed the continent.

Evangelist Bonnke drew some of the largest live audiences in history. In November of 2000, at a single meeting in Lagos, Nigeria, 1.6 million attendees heard him preach the truth of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. From big cities to the bush, in deserts, jungles and savannahs, similar crowds assembled in almost every nation in Africa."

Quotable Quotes

• "Every time I take a microphone, I have only one purpose in mind – to see hell empty and heaven full."

• "The Evangelist is a man with a driving urgency, not a man with two minds. The Gospel and nothing else on earth matters, neither fame, money, popularity or life itself. 1 Cor. 2:2"

• "I can’t purr like a cat when millions are perishing every day. I want to roar like a lion!"