The world renowned Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke celebrates his 78 birthday today. He was born on 19 April 1940 in Königsberg, East Prussia, Germany. He was born again at the age of nine after his mother spoke with him about the punishment for a sin he committed, unless Jesus saved him. He felt a call to preach the gospel in Africa at the age of 10 and says that he had the experience of Baptism in the Holy Spirit. He is the son of a pastor and ex-serviceman in the German Army who initially did not take Bonnke’s call to preach the gospel seriously.

Reinhard Bonnke studied at The Bible College of Wales in Swansea, where he was inspired by the director Samuel Rees Howells. In one meeting after Howells spoke of answered prayer, Reinhard Bonnke prayed, “Lord, I also want to be a man of faith. I want to see your way of providing for needs.” After graduation, he pastored in Germany for seven years. He began his ministry in Africa, with which he is principally identified, preaching in Lesotho in 1967.

He has subsequently held evangelical meetings across the continent.After graduating from the Bible College of Wales and returning to Germany, Reinhard Bonnke led a series of crusade meetings in Rendsburg. He began receiving speaking invitations from all around Germany and the rest of the world. Reinhard Bonnke met Anni Schulze at a gospel music festival, and admired the grace with which she recovered from a wrongly pitched music performance at the expense of losing the competition. He offered to preach at the church she attended one Sunday and fell in love with her.

He did his farewell crusade in Nigeria from November 8 – 12, 2017. Currently, Christ for all Nation is handled by Daniel Colenda who is the successor of Reinhard Bonnke
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