All Set for Bonnke
By
Grace Alegba
Monday, October 23, 2006
Reinhard Bonnke, popular evangelist, plans a crusade that will bring many opportunities to Nigerians
Preparations are in top gear for next month's crusade by Reinhard Bonnke, a popular evangelist. The crusade will hold in Lagos between November 15 and 19. Last week, representatives of Bonnke were in Lagos to put finishing touches to the preparations for the event. The venue of the event is currently being cleaned up and adequate security measures are being put in place to ensure a hitch-free crusade and the comfort of those to attend.
Peter Vandenberg, vice-president of Christ for All Nations, CFAN, while addressing the press on October 17 in Lagos, conveyed Bonnke's message to Nigerians. Vandenberg said Bonnke was gladly looking forward to the great crusade and had been praying that the crusade would bring several opportunities to the country.
Vandenberg said there had been a focus on Nigeria because God had impressed on Bonnke's heart to concentrate on Nigeria. "God is waiting to raise an end-time army of believers who will invade the world for Christ, using Nigeria as its trigger." He emphasised that God is with Nigeria and nothing can change the plan of God for the nation.
He noted that: "Africa, once called the Dark Continent, has now become the light house of nations." He told Newswatch that even though Africa has several challenging problems, experience and recent research have proved that "very soon, Africa will be the most Christian continent on earth." According to him, CFAN believes that this "light of the gospel" will have positive impact on the continent. "This impact will spread to other parts of the world," he said.
Vandenberg expressed hope that at the end of the crusade, the positive effects will be echoed through increase in church population, transformation in the lives of ministers and ministries, while the foundation of Lagos and the country would "reverberate as Jesus pushes through."
Responding to questions on the likely repeat of some ugly incidents that took place during the Benny Hinn crusade, Vandenberg said Bonnke had worked with several church leaders since he started evangelism in the country in 1974. He emphasised that he was "proud to say Bonnke has never been cheated by any Nigerian." He promised that the crusade would be hitch free. According to him, measures were in place for effective crowd and traffic control.
Others in attendance at the briefing include Sunday Makinde, prelate of Methodist Church of Nigeria, Seigfried Tomazsweski, director of CFAN Germany, Reverend Oyeniran, adviser to African director, CFAN, John Darku, African director, CFAN, George Amu, co-chairman of Lagos 2006 crusade, Gbemi Otolorin, chairman, Lagos State Baptist Conference, Reverend Mpamugu, Lagos District Superintendent, Assemblies of God Church, Paul Onanuga, Diocesan Bishop of Agege, Awori Diocese, Akintoye Braimoh, co-secretary executive committee among others.
The five-day crusade titled the "Great Gospel Crusade" will hold at the Olympic Grounds, by Sanya Bus Stop, opposite Ayo Ni O, Apapa-Oshodi Expressesway, Lagos. The programme of events will also include a three-day fire conference for ministers and churches in the mornings from 16th to 18th at the National Stadium, Lagos.
Bonnke has held multiple crusades in 50 out of the 54 countries in Africa including Nigeria in the last thirty years and visited Lagos last in 2000 during the millennium crusade where more than three million people gave their lives to Jesus within the five-day period of the crusade.
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