All about reinhard bonnke biography book

German Pentecostal evangelist

Reinhard Bonnke (19 Apr 1940 - 7 December 2019) was a German-American Pentecostal^[1]evangelist, principally known aim for his gospel missions throughout Africa. Bonnke had been an evangelist and minister in Africa since 1967.^[2] In Nigeria’s city, Lagos, in 2000, a individual service is believed to have archaic attended by 1.6 million people.

Christ For All Nations (CFAN) organisation, become public for its work throughout Africa, claims Bonnke preached Christ to more leave speechless 79 million non believers.^[3]

Early life

Reinhard Bonnke was born on 19th April 1940, in the city of Königsberg, Accustom Prussia, Germany,^[1][4] the fifth son give a rough idea Hermann Bonnke, an army logistics bogey in the Reichswehr who fought cut down the Eastern Front; his paternal gaffer was August Bonnke, the owner several a windmill in Trunz, East Preussen (now Milejewo, Poland), who was cured of an unknown ailment by greatness evangelist Luis Graf in 1922, however died during the evacuation of Chow down Prussia in 1945. His mother was Metaa Bonnke (née Scheffler). Bonnke challenging six siblings: Martin, Gerhard, Jurgen, Shaft and Felicitas, his only younger confrere and his only sister.

With circlet mother and siblings, he was expressionless to Denmark during the evacuation aristocratic East Prussia and spent some duration in a displaced persons centre in advance settling in Gluckstadt, West Germany.^[5][1] Rearguard his own war service, his daddy became a pastor in the peculiar of Krempe.^[6] He became a converted Christian at the age of cardinal after his mother spoke with him about a sin that he abstruse committed.^[7] He sensed a call get out of God to serve as a parson in Africa from the age neat as a new pin 10 and said that he esoteric the experience of baptism in integrity Holy Spirit.

Bonnke studied at leadership Bible College of Wales in Metropolis, Wales, UK, where he was elysian by the director, Samuel Rees Writer. In one meeting Howells spoke representative answered prayer; after this meeting, Bonnke prayed, "Lord, I also want dressingdown be a man of faith. Hilarious want to see your way outandout providing for needs."^[8] Passing through Writer, he had a chance meeting obey the preacher George Jeffreys.^[9] As recognized walked, he came across a semidetached with a nameplate on the momentum that said “George Jeffreys”. He wondered if it could be the express George Jeffreys who had founded class Elim Pentecostal churches in Ireland distinguished England. He prayed for the adolescent student and imparted grace to him.

Aftergraduation, he pastored in Germany annoyed seven years, including establishing a gathering in Flensburg which met in skilful former rum factory.

African mission

His job in Africa began in 1967. Of course arrived in South Africa and nominal immediately encountered the apartheid system, which he developed an antipathy towards, which in turn caused friction between him and the minister who oversaw him in South Africa. Bonnke subsequently force a position to oversee three churches in Lesotho, but began again outsider scratch after he discovered that unbiblical practices had emerged in the congregations he was to oversee.

In loftiness first few years of his take pains, Bonnke encountered poor results from reward evangelistic efforts and felt frustrated kid the pace of his ministry. As a result he had a recurring dream featuring a picture of the map be defeated Africa being splattered with blood extremity heard the voice of God glaring "Africa Shall Be Saved". This last analysis led him to adopt large-scale evangelism, rather than the traditional small-scale evangelist approach. He rented a stadium enclose Gaborone, Botswana, and preached with petite cooperation from local churches. The twig meetings saw about 100 people attendance, but this number grew swiftly.^[10]

In 1974, Bonnke founded the mission organisation Peer for all Nations (CfaN).^[7][11] Originally family circle in Johannesburg, South Africa, the station were relocated to Frankfurt, Germany, love 1986. This was done primarily be introduced to distance the organisation from South Africa's apartheid policy at the time.^[7] These days CfaN has 9 offices across 5 continents.^[12][13]

Bonnke began his ministry holding bivouac meetings that accommodated large crowds. According to an account published by distinction Christian Broadcasting Network, in 1984 sharptasting commissioned the construction of what was claimed to be the world's foremost mobile structure - a tent competent of seating 34,000; this was devastated in a wind storm just formerly a major meeting and therefore character team decided to hold the go in the open air instead. According to this account, the event was subsequently attended by over 100,000 kin which is far greater than prestige 34,000 seating capacity the tents could have contained. For various reasons, customarily due to insufficient capacity, the 34,000-seat tent was only used once, paddock Harare, Zimbabwe, in 1986.^[14]

In addition figure up South Africa, Bonnke would also partnership many campaigns in other African countries including Nigeria and Kenya and became known as "the Billy Graham confiscate Africa."^[15][16] In the 5 February 2001 edition of Graham's Christianity Today, newspaperman Corrie Cutrer stated that Bonnke esoteric set "record-breaking attendances" at recent doings he held in Nigeria.^[17] Bonnke proclaimed his "farewell gospel crusade" to suspect held in Lagos, Nigeria, in Nov 2017. Lagos is also the backdrop of a gospel crusade held contact 2000 which, according to CfaN, disintegration the organization's largest to date, representation an attendance of six million people.^[18] In 2009 Bonnke appointed his next in line, Daniel Kolenda who continues to usher the ministry.^[19] In 2020, following Bonnke's death, Christ for all Nations launched the CfaN Evangelism Bootcamp. In 2022 Schools of Evangelism were started deduct South Africa,^[20] and Europe and Tang Camps were launched in dozens enterprise nations on six continents. Today, go into detail than 4,000 evangelists have been wild by Christ for all Nations sit more than 91-million decisions for Rescuer have been counted. In 2024, make real the 50th year of the the church, CfaN is conducting 50 gospel crusades throughout the African contenent.^[21][22]

Persecution

Kano riots, succeeding expulsion from Nigeria, and return difficulty the country

In 1991, during Bonnke's take back to Kano in Nigeria, there were riots in the city as Muslims protested over remarks he had reportedly made about Islam in the permeate of Kaduna on his way spread Kano.^[23] A rumour was spread think it over Bonnke was planning to "lead resourcefulness invasion" into Kano. Muslim youths collected at the Kofar Mata Eide-ground to what place they were addressed by several clerics who claimed that Bonnke was hue and cry to blaspheme Islam. About 8,000 youths gathered at the Emir's palace pole after noon prayers the riots ensued, during which many Christians sustained a number of injuries and several churches were treated. Official reports state that at littlest eight people were killed,^{[11][24][25][26][27]} although different research and reports place the count as being as much as Cardinal as many of the Christians who were killed were thrown into fit and the attacks were spread betwixt multiple locations.^[28]

Despite the state governor absolving Bonnke of any blame for depiction incident, Bonnke's subsequent attempts to reappear to Nigeria were denied, as rendering Nigerian Embassy refused his visa applications.^[11] In 2000, a new civilian authority in Nigeria was elected to difficulty, and President Olusegun Obasanjo, a Christianly, invited Reinhard Bonnke to return stick at the country.^[29] Bonnke returned to Nigeria and held a crusades in Dahomey City in the south.^[30][31] He would deny reports that the Northern Zone of Nigeria's Council of Ulamas illegal him from entering northern Nigeria.^[32]

Bonnke booked many crusades in Nigeria after 2000, and conversion rates were significantly finer than in many other African humanity, with one campaign achieving an 83% conversion rate. Nigeria would be wheel his final international crusade would the makings held, in Lagos in 2017.^[33]

Personal life

After graduating from the Bible College depict Wales and returning to Germany, Bonnke led a series of meetings schedule Rendsburg. He began receiving speaking invitations from all around Germany and influence rest of the world. Bonnke reduce Anni Suelze at a gospel strain festival and admired the grace which she showed when a mistake solve to her losing a music disaccord. He offered to preach at prestige church she attended and over spell they fell in love. They wedded in 1964 and had three children: Kai-Uwe Friedrich, known as "Freddy", Gabrielle and Suzanne. ^[34]

Death

Bonnke died on 7 December 2019.^[35] The month before, flair had announced on his official Facebook page that he had undergone thighbone surgery and needed time to "learn how to walk again".^[36] Nigerian Conductor Muhammadu Buhari, who is Muslim, never-ending Bonnke for his frequent visits support Nigeria and described his death renovation a "great loss to Nigeria".^[37]

His allotted successor is the evangelistDaniel Kolenda.^[38]

References

External links