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'His Heart Burned With Compassion for People's Souls:' Tributes to the Great Gospel Crusader Reinhard Bonnke

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The death of evangelist and missionary Reinhard Bonnke has created an outpouring of touching tributes from around the world.

The founder of Christ for all Nations (CfaN) passed away on Dec. 7 at the age of 79.

Tributes from evangelical leaders, pastors and faithful followers began to flood social media.

Evangelist Franklin Graham said, "Reinhard Bonnke was a powerful evangelist throughout the world, but particularly on the continent of Africa where his heart burned with compassion for people's souls. Through the preaching of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, millions of lives will be in Heaven and we give praise and glory to God that His Word never returns void. Our thoughts and prayers are with Reinhard's wife Anni and the entire family."

President of Congress of Christian Leaders, Rev. Johnnie Moore told CBN News, "No single human being is more responsible for making Africa Christian continent (which once was totally unfathomable)…It was one of the great revivals in all of history.”

"Reinhard Bonnke had few peers in all of Christian history. He was another giant of what I've come to call 'the great evangelical century' where a generation of pastors, missionaries and evangelists took personal responsibility for taking the Gospel to -literally- every corner of the globe. They wouldn't rest until they had 'reached the world in their generation' and they succeeded in reaching more people in more places than anytime in Christian history, except for the first generations after Christ.  No one pursued that passion with greater resolve, and almost no one inspired more to follow in his footsteps. He leaves a legacy of countless millions of Christians who breathe every breathe to reach every soul for the Glory of God in their generation."

President of National Hispanic Christian Leadership Coalition, Rev. Samuel Rodriguez said, "‪Reinhard Bonnke, an evangelist in the truest since of the word, proclaimed the gospel with passion, lived his life with integrity and changed the world with truth and love. He preached Jesus and millions responded. Well done my friend. Well done!"

Free Chapel Pastor Jentezen Franklin said, "Few people have made the lifetime commitment to the message of the Gospel that Reinhard Bonnke made. He was a role model worldwide for his unwavering belief in the supernatural and miraculous power that we have through the Holy Spirit. With every fiber of his being, Reinhard knew God loved each and every one of his children and he desperately wanted everyone to understand the depths of that love. I pray that every Christian lives with the same authenticity and passion that he did every day on this earth. My prayers are with the Bonnke family today. May a life well-lived and a certain destiny give them peace and comfort."

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim, extended his condolences to the Bonnke family, describing his death as a “great loss to Nigeria, Africa and the entire world.”

"The President condoles with government and people of Germany, family and friends of the great preacher and teacher of the Bible, and all his co-labourers in the vineyard, praying that God will comfort all those that mourn him."
 

Christ for all Nations (CfaN) said in a statement that his undeniable influence will continue to affect church leaders and congregants from around the world.

Brian Houston, senior pastor of Hillsong Church, said, "Over the years, his unwavering passion to win souls for the Kingdom has never ceased to inspire me to connect people to Jesus, their Savior. I love the way salvation resonates in his spirit, whether he's on a platform speaking to millions or behind the scenes having a chat – Jesus is always on his lips."

As a result of his ministry, Bonnke saw more than 79 million people choose to follow Christ.

President and CEO of CfaN, Daniel Kolenda said, “Evangelist Bonnke was best known for his gospel outreach campaigns throughout Africa. It is no exaggeration to say that his work transformed the continent.”

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About The Author

Andrea Morris
Andrea
Morris

Andrea Morris is a Features Producer for The 700 Club. She came to CBN in 2019 where she worked as a web producer in the news department for three years. Her passion was always to tell human interest stories that would touch the hearts of readers while connecting them with God. She transitioned into her new role with The 700 Club in August 2022.