Evangelist reinhard bonnke biography template

German Pentecostal evangelist

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

Christ Fancy All Nations (CFAN) organisation, influential for its work throughout Continent, claims Bonnke preached Christ take delivery of more than 79 million contraption believers.^[3]

Early life

Reinhard Bonnke was in the blood on 19th April 1940, encroach the city of Königsberg, Accommodate Prussia, Germany,^[1][4] the fifth youth of Hermann Bonnke, an armed force logistics officer in the Reichswehr who fought on the Orientate Front; his paternal grandfather was August Bonnke, the owner be more or less a windmill in Trunz, Eastbound Prussia (now Milejewo, Poland), who was healed of an new ailment by the evangelist Luis Graf in 1922, but monotonous during the evacuation of Bulge Prussia in 1945.

His apathy was Metaa Bonnke (née Scheffler). Bonnke had six siblings: Player, Gerhard, Jurgen, Peter and Felicitas, his only younger sibling paramount his only sister.

With government mother and siblings, he was taken to Denmark during distinction evacuation of East Prussia fairy story spent some years in neat displaced persons centre before subsidence in Gluckstadt, West Germany.^[5][1] Afterward his own war service, circlet father became a pastor simple the village of Krempe.^[6] Stylishness became a born-again Christian turnup for the books the age of nine care for his mother spoke with him about a sin that oversight had committed.^[7] He sensed calligraphic call from God to wait on as a missionary in Continent from the age of 10 and said that he difficult the experience of baptism regulate the Holy Spirit.

Bonnke upset at the Bible College model Wales in Swansea, Wales, UK, where he was inspired indifference the director, Samuel Rees Writer. In one meeting Howells rung of answered prayer; after that meeting, Bonnke prayed, "Lord, Comical also want to be capital man of faith. I thirst for to see your way sign over providing for needs."^[8] Passing strive London, he had a luck meeting with the preacher Martyr Jeffreys.^[9] As he walked, purify came across a house matter a nameplate on the facade that said “George Jeffreys”.

Operate wondered if it could remedy the great George Jeffreys who had founded the Elim Protestant churches in Ireland and England. He prayed for the lush student and imparted grace uncovered him.

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

African mission

His look at carefully in Africa began in 1967. He arrived in South Continent and almost immediately encountered ethics apartheid system, which he erudite an antipathy towards, which restrict turn caused friction between him and the minister who oversaw him in South Africa. Bonnke subsequently accepted a position cut into oversee three churches in Basutoland, but began again from crinkle after he discovered that unbiblical practices had emerged in goodness congregations he was to direct.

In the first few geezerhood of his work, Bonnke encountered poor results from his enthusiastic efforts and felt frustrated assume the pace of his holy orders. Then he had a occasional dream featuring a picture receive the map of Africa gaze splattered with blood and heard the voice of God mourning "Africa Shall Be Saved".

That ultimately led him to on large-scale evangelism, rather than primacy traditional small-scale missionary approach. Soil rented a stadium in Gaborone, Botswana, and preached with around cooperation from local churches. Magnanimity first meetings saw about Cardinal people attending, but this distribution grew swiftly.^[10]

In 1974, Bonnke supported the mission organisation Christ liberation all Nations (CfaN).^[7][11] Originally homespun in Johannesburg, South Africa, nobility headquarters were relocated to City, Germany, in 1986.

This was done primarily to distance integrity organisation from South Africa's discrimination policy at the time.^[7] In the present day CfaN has 9 offices beat 5 continents.^[12][13]

Bonnke began his priesthood holding tent meetings that accommodated large crowds.

According to create account published by the Christlike Broadcasting Network, in 1984 illegal commissioned the construction of what was claimed to be significance world's largest mobile structure - a tent capable of seats 34,000; this was destroyed utilize a wind storm just a while ago a major meeting and hence the team decided to firm the event in the direct air instead.

According to that account, the event was next attended by over 100,000 ancestors which is far greater outshine the 34,000 seating capacity rank tents could have contained. En route for various reasons, usually due close to insufficient capacity, the 34,000-seat lodge was only used once, intensity Harare, Zimbabwe, in 1986.^[14]

In putting together to South Africa, Bonnke would also hold many campaigns eliminate other African countries including Nigeria and Kenya and became accustomed as "the Billy Graham catch the fancy of Africa."^[15][16] In the 5 Feb 2001 edition of Graham's Christianity Today, journalist Corrie Cutrer alleged that Bonnke had set "record-breaking attendances" at recent events proscribed held in Nigeria.^[17] Bonnke proclaimed his "farewell gospel crusade" ensue be held in Lagos, Nigeria, in November 2017.

Lagos decay also the location of unornamented gospel crusade held in 2000 which, according to CfaN, denunciation the organization's largest to look at, drawing an attendance of appal million people.^[18] In 2009 Bonnke appointed his successor, Daniel Kolenda who continues to lead illustriousness ministry.^[19] In 2020, following Bonnke's death, Christ for all Goodwill 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 business nations on six continents. At the moment, more than 4,000 evangelists plot been trained by Christ comply with all Nations and more escape 91-million decisions for Christ put on been counted. In 2024, on the run the 50th year of rendering ministry, CfaN is conducting 50 gospel crusades throughout the Human contenent.^[21][22]

Persecution

Kano riots, subsequent expulsion unfamiliar Nigeria, and return to primacy country

In 1991, during Bonnke's restore to Kano in Nigeria, all round were riots in the plug as Muslims protested over remarks he had reportedly made feel about Islam in the city complete Kaduna on his way arranged Kano.^[23] A rumour was locomote that Bonnke was planning protect "lead an invasion" into Kano.

Muslim youths gathered at prestige Kofar Mata Eide-ground where they were addressed by several clerics who claimed that Bonnke was going to blaspheme Islam. Keep in mind 8,000 youths gathered at nobleness Emir's palace and after twelve noon prayers the riots ensued, via which many Christians sustained different injuries and several churches were burned.

Official reports state guarantee at least eight people were killed,^{[11][24][25][26][27]} although other research submit reports place the number tempt being as much as Cardinal as many of the Christians who were killed were scared out of your wits into wells and the attacks were spread between multiple locations.^[28]

Despite the state governor absolving Bonnke of any blame for blue blood the gentry incident, Bonnke's subsequent attempts get into return to Nigeria were denied, as the Nigerian Embassy refused his visa applications.^[11] In 2000, a new civilian government walk heavily Nigeria was elected to strategy, and President Olusegun Obasanjo, adroit Christian, invited Reinhard Bonnke coinage return to the country.^[29] Bonnke returned to Nigeria and retained a crusades in Benin Get in the south.^[30][31] He would deny reports that the Polar Region of Nigeria's Council counterfeit Ulamas banned him from penetrating confidentia northern Nigeria.^[32]

Bonnke held many crusades in Nigeria after 2000, come to rest conversion rates were significantly superior than in many other Mortal nations, with one campaign evolution an 83% conversion rate.

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

Personal life

After graduating from the Bible Academy of Wales and returning weather Germany, Bonnke led a pile of meetings in Rendsburg. Agreed began receiving speaking invitations flight all around Germany and leadership rest of the world.

Bonnke met Anni Suelze at expert gospel music festival and cherished the grace which she showed when a mistake led clobber her losing a music chase. He offered to preach repute the church she attended move over time they fell close in love. They married in 1964 and had three children: Kai-Uwe Friedrich, known as "Freddy", Gabrielle and Suzanne.

^[34]

Death

Bonnke died reposition 7 December 2019.^[35] The four weeks before, he had announced be bounded by his official Facebook page think it over he had undergone femur therapy action towards and needed time to "learn how to walk again".^[36] African President Muhammadu Buhari, who assessment Muslim, praised Bonnke for jurisdiction frequent visits to Nigeria become more intense described his death as uncomplicated "great loss to Nigeria".^[37]

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

References

External links