Christ for all Nations (CfaN) recently paid tribute to its late founder Reinhard Bonnke. On its official Facebook page, they called Bonnke "one of the greatest evangelists to preach the Gospel." 

Man of Compassion

According to the Facebook post, the mission organization described Bonnke as a man of compassion. 

The post also said that the evangelist was committed to seeing every soul saved. 

The social media post said that Bonnke had a burning passion for sharing the love of Christ with every nation. 

Billy Graham of Africa

In a report with Christianity Today, the German evangelist died on Dec. 7, 2019, aged 79. His fellow faith leaders considered him "the Billy Graham of Africa."

Daniel Kolenda soon became his successor. Kolenda is also the lead pastor of Nations Church Orlando. In an interview with the news outlet, the evangelist shared his thoughts on his mentor's passing. 

Kolenda attested to Bonnke's integrity and kindness. He also said that his mentor had an overwhelming love for God. 

The lead pastor told the news outlet that Bonnke's ministry of love and compassion led him to establish Christ for all Nations to spread Christ's love. 

Humble Beginnings

According to the CfaN website, Bonnke founded the religious organization in 1974. It had its humble beginnings when he and his wife, Anni, did mission work in Maseru. The couple spent seven years there. 

During his years in Lesotho, he had a vision of a "blood-washed Africa." Bonnke had the desire to see that the country would be saved. 

The website said that Bonnke led his fledgling evangelism team to preach in Botswana. He never preached in a stadium before, but he trusted God's plan.

Different churches rejected Bonnke because he was an unknown preacher at the time. Despite the low attendance during his first meetings, he persevered. 

Bonnke decided to trust God and preached as if preaching to a crowd of thousands. 

He talked about the Gospel to a small crowd numbering about a hundred when a man cried out that he was healed. 

According to the website, those who attended his meetings experienced miracles. Many of those who were sick found that they were healed. 

Christianity Today reported that Bonnke's largest in-person gathering in Lagos, Nigeria reached 1.6 million in a single night. 

Many African Christians took to Twitter to mourn his loss when the evangelist died. They offered their condolences to the family. The mourners said that the country would never forget him.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari also paid his respects. Buhari said that the evangelist's passing was a loss to Nigeria, Africa, and the world. 

Naming His Successor

In a news report with CBN, Bonnke named Kolenda as his successor during a farewell crusade. 

The German evangelist prayed for Kolenda and urged the crowd to join him in prayer. 

He told Kolenda that God chose him to be his successor and continue his ministry. 

The Nations Church pastor was under his guidance for over a decade. 

In a previous interview with Charisma News, Bonnke called Kolenda, an "outstanding preacher with a message of salvation."

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