Reinhard Bonnke, a world renowned Pentecostal evangelist, has died at 79.
Bonnke, whose ministry recorded 75 million conversions of souls to Christ, died on Saturday, December 7, 2019. In his lifetime, he held crusades around the world including several in Nigeria.
His wife, Anni Bonnke announced his passing in a short statement on Facebook.
“Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, it is with sorrow that the Bonnke Family would like to announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, and grandfather, Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke,” she wrote.
“He passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on December 7, 2019. For the past 60 years he has preached the glorious Gospel of Jesus throughout the entire world.
“We want to thank you on behalf of him and our family, for your kind love and unwavering support, which enabled him to preach the matchless message of salvation to countless people.”
Bonnke began his ministry in Africa in Lesotho in 1967. His ministry grew to a global evangelistic ministry with emphasis on Africa. He touched many lives through his gospel missions especially in Africa where he established a number of Bible Colleges.
In 2017, he held his ‘farewell gospel crusade’ in Lagos. He then handed over the evangelistic ministry to Daniel Kolenda.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Bonnke, in 1984 commissioned the construction of what was the world’s largest mobile structure as of that time– a tent capable of seating 34,000 persons.
Bonnke was the son of an army logistics officer. He met Anni Suelze at a gospel music festival and they married in 1964. They have three children.
