By Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have
kept the faith…” (2 Timothy 4:7)
When on December 7, 2019, news broke that
Reinhard Bonnke, the German-born evangelist, whose gospel crusades in many
African cities drew multitudes and led many people to make definite decisions
to give their lives to Jesus Christ, had died in Florida, the world saw another
example of what could rightly be described, by Biblical standards, as a successful
ministry. He was 79.
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| *Evangelist Bonnke |
The most important item in his life’s history
is that, although, he was the son of a gospel minister, Bonnke had a definite
testimony of regeneration, that is, being born again – something every genuine
child of God should and must have, but which, sadly, many church people
do not have today, including even several preachers! His mother had preached to
him when he was nine and he had repented of his sins and given his life to
Jesus Christ after which he committed himself to serve God and become a genuine
follower of Jesus.
From then, his interest in preaching the Word
of God was born and grew. One day, he took a guitar and went into a street
in Glückstadt and began to sing. Soon, a small crowd gathered and he
brought out his Bible and preached to them. Bonnke was so excited when one man
who was convicted by “his preaching knelt down, confessed his sins and gave his
to Christ.”
Filled with happiness, he rushed home
excitedly and exclaimed as he reported what happened to his father: “Father, it
works! A man came to hear me preach and accepted Jesus. The Holy Spirit
really gives us the power to preach!” He could not contain his joy.
From a very early age, Bonnke began to tell
everyone around him of his clear persuasion that he had a very definite calling
from God to preach the gospel in Africa. He attended a Bible College in Wales
and when he returned to Germany after his education, he met his wife, Anni, and
they were married in 1964.
