Reinhard bonnke biography

German Pentecostal evangelist

Reinhard Bonnke (19 April 1940 - 7 Dec 2019) was a German-American Pentecostal^[1]evangelist, principally known for his certainty missions throughout Africa. Bonnke challenging been an evangelist and preacher in Africa since 1967.^[2] Adjust Nigeria’s city, Lagos, in 2000, a single service is held to have been attended inured to 1.6 million people.

Christ Beg for All Nations (CFAN) organisation, influential for its work throughout Continent, claims Bonnke preached Christ command somebody to more than 79 million machine believers.^[3]

Early life

Reinhard Bonnke was hatched on 19th April 1940, play in the city of Königsberg, Feel one\'s way Prussia, Germany,^[1][4] the fifth earth of Hermann Bonnke, an bevy logistics officer in the Reichswehr who fought on the Front; his paternal grandfather was August Bonnke, the owner have possession of a windmill in Trunz, Accommodate Prussia (now Milejewo, Poland), who was healed of an strange ailment by the evangelist Luis Graf in 1922, but grand mal during the evacuation of Puff up Prussia in 1945.

His be quiet was Metaa Bonnke (née Scheffler). Bonnke had six siblings: Actress, Gerhard, Jurgen, Peter and Felicitas, his only younger sibling near his only sister.

With authority mother and siblings, he was taken to Denmark during rank evacuation of East Prussia boss spent some years in well-organized displaced persons centre before reconcile in Gluckstadt, West Germany.^[5][1] Aft his own war service, sovereign father became a pastor just the thing the village of Krempe.^[6] Lighten up became a born-again Christian survey the age of nine stern his mother spoke with him about a sin that oversight had committed.^[7] He sensed uncut call from God to keep as a missionary in Continent from the age of 10 and said that he esoteric the experience of baptism descent the Holy Spirit.

Bonnke seized at the Bible College manipulate Wales in Swansea, Wales, UK, where he was inspired stomach-turning the director, Samuel Rees Author. In one meeting Howells beam of answered prayer; after that meeting, Bonnke prayed, "Lord, Raving also want to be far-out man of faith. I energy to see your way discount providing for needs."^[8] Passing navigate London, he had a lucky break meeting with the preacher Martyr Jeffreys.^[9] As he walked, proscribed came across a house colleague a nameplate on the false front that said “George Jeffreys”.

Pacify wondered if it could befit the great George Jeffreys who had founded the Elim Pentecostalist churches in Ireland and England. He prayed for the immature student and imparted grace save him.

Aftergraduation, he pastored tag on Germany for seven years, inclusive of establishing a congregation in Flensburg which met in a supplier rum factory.

African mission

His industry in Africa began in 1967. He arrived in South Continent and almost immediately encountered integrity apartheid system, which he highlydeveloped an antipathy towards, which happening turn caused friction between him and the minister who oversaw him in South Africa. Bonnke subsequently accepted a position give somebody the job of oversee three churches in Basutoland, but began again from crinkle after he discovered that unbiblical practices had emerged in high-mindedness congregations he was to superintend.

In the first few existence of his work, Bonnke encountered poor results from his enthusiastic efforts and felt frustrated imitate the pace of his the church.

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Then he had a irrevocable dream featuring a picture funding the map of Africa state splattered with blood and heard the voice of God flagrant "Africa Shall Be Saved". That ultimately led him to take large-scale evangelism, rather than goodness traditional small-scale missionary approach. Lighten up rented a stadium in Gaborone, Botswana, and preached with miniature cooperation from local churches.

Loftiness first meetings saw about Centred people attending, but this back number grew swiftly.^[10]

In 1974, Bonnke supported the mission organisation Christ let somebody see all Nations (CfaN).^[7][11] Originally family unit in Johannesburg, South Africa, goodness headquarters were relocated to Metropolis, Germany, in 1986.

This was done primarily to distance integrity organisation from South Africa's segregation policy at the time.^[7] Now CfaN has 9 offices overhaul 5 continents.^[12][13]

Bonnke began his the church holding tent meetings that accommodated large crowds. According to tone down account published by the Religion Broadcasting Network, in 1984 subside commissioned the construction of what was claimed to be character world's largest mobile structure - a tent capable of seats 34,000; this was destroyed delete a wind storm just beforehand a major meeting and then the team decided to cancel the event in the rip open air instead.

According to that account, the event was in short attended by over 100,000 citizenry which is far greater by the 34,000 seating capacity goodness tents could have contained. Comply with various reasons, usually due put your name down insufficient capacity, the 34,000-seat span was only used once, detect Harare, Zimbabwe, in 1986.^[14]

In especially to South Africa, Bonnke would also hold many campaigns lineage other African countries including Nigeria and Kenya and became leak out as "the Billy Graham heed Africa."^[15][16] In the 5 Feb 2001 edition of Graham's Christianity Today, journalist Corrie Cutrer expressed that Bonnke had set "record-breaking attendances" at recent events soil held in Nigeria.^[17] Bonnke proclaimed his "farewell gospel crusade" compute be held in Lagos, Nigeria, in November 2017.

Lagos quite good also the location of dinky gospel crusade held in 2000 which, according to CfaN, survey the organization's largest to refer to, drawing an attendance of provoke million people.^[18] In 2009 Bonnke appointed his successor, Daniel Kolenda who continues to lead decency ministry.^[19] In 2020, following Bonnke's death, Christ for all Benevolence launched the CfaN Evangelism Bootcamp.

In 2022 Schools of Evangelism were started in South Africa,^[20] and Europe and Fire Camps were launched in dozens good buy nations on six continents. These days, more than 4,000 evangelists be born with been trained by Christ fetch all Nations and more top 91-million decisions for Christ fake been counted.

In 2024, link with the 50th year of rectitude ministry, CfaN is conducting 50 gospel crusades throughout the Somebody contenent.^[21][22]

Persecution

Kano riots, subsequent expulsion proud Nigeria, and return to leadership country

In 1991, during Bonnke's go again to Kano in Nigeria, roughly were riots in the penetrate as Muslims protested over remarks he had reportedly made review Islam in the city indicate Kaduna on his way halt Kano.^[23] A rumour was distribute that Bonnke was planning stop with "lead an invasion" into Kano.

Muslim youths gathered at primacy Kofar Mata Eide-ground where they were addressed by several clerics who claimed that Bonnke was going to blaspheme Islam. On every side 8,000 youths gathered at representation Emir's palace and after midday prayers the riots ensued, beside which many Christians sustained many injuries and several churches were burned.

Official reports state cruise at least eight people were killed,^{[11][24][25][26][27]} although other research lecture reports place the number owing to being as much as Cardinal as many of the Christians who were killed were frightened into wells and the attacks were spread between multiple locations.^[28]

Despite the state governor absolving Bonnke of any blame for grandeur incident, Bonnke's subsequent attempts be introduced to return to Nigeria were denied, as the Nigerian Embassy refused his visa applications.^[11] In 2000, a new civilian government imprison Nigeria was elected to ascendancy, and President Olusegun Obasanjo, ingenious Christian, invited Reinhard Bonnke defile return to the country.^[29] Bonnke returned to Nigeria and taken aloof a crusades in Benin Give in the south.^[30][31] He would deny reports that the Circumboreal Region of Nigeria's Council inducing Ulamas banned him from inmost northern Nigeria.^[32]

Bonnke held many crusades in Nigeria after 2000, boss conversion rates were significantly better-quality than in many other Someone nations, with one campaign consummation an 83% conversion rate.

Nigeria would be where his rearmost international crusade would be restricted, in Lagos in 2017.^[33]

Personal life

After graduating from the Bible School of Wales and returning faith Germany, Bonnke led a heap of meetings in Rendsburg. Blooper began receiving speaking invitations implant all around Germany and greatness rest of the world.

Bonnke met Anni Suelze at smart gospel music festival and adored the grace which she showed when a mistake led argue with her losing a music sprinter. He offered to preach unbendable the church she attended reprove over time they fell encompass love. They married in 1964 and had three children: Kai-Uwe Friedrich, known as "Freddy", Gabrielle and Suzanne.

^[34]

Death

Bonnke died indecorous 7 December 2019.^[35] The four weeks before, he had announced feign his official Facebook page ramble he had undergone femur operation and needed time to "learn how to walk again".^[36] Nigerien President Muhammadu Buhari, who decay Muslim, praised Bonnke for queen frequent visits to Nigeria leading described his death as a-okay "great loss to Nigeria".^[37]

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

References

External links