By Sam Eyoboka

AFTER 50 years of evangelical mission in Africa with 75 million recorded conversions to Christ, world renowned evangelist, Reinhard Bonnke, returns to Nigeria for a five-day crusade and a three-day multi-purpose ministers’ fire conference on what his team, Christ for All Nations (CFaN) says will rescue the country from spiritual pollution and socio-political corruption.

Reinhard Bonnke

CFaN officials led by its African Director, John Darku, expect over 10 million people across Africa at the crusade billed to hold at the large expanse of land close by Sparklight Estate, diagonally opposite OPIC Plaza, Isheri Osun, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in November.

Bonnke is said to have visited more than 200 countries with his life-transforming crusades leaving healing, repentance and prosperity in his trail.

Although the Lagos outing will be the last of Bonnke’s international crusade, CFaN will continue to carry on with its global evangelism project. Darku says the CfaN anticipates conversion of many souls to Christ as Bonnke delivers his farewell message to a crowd of worshippers in Nigeria.

“One of the highlights of the crusade will be a Passing The Burning Torch Conference for leaders and church workers. Bonnke is believing God for many thousands of pastors and evangelists from around the globe to be inspired to evangelism,” says Darku.

According to Darku, the crusade promises to be the best of its kind just as he hinted of plans to recruit more than 500,000 counsellors, 200,000 intercessors, a choir of over 23,000 and a security force of over 10,000. “There is great excitement from all the churches in the country, and we are expecting a spectacular harvest of people coming to Christ”, he says.

Lead evangelist of CfaN and successor to Bonnke, Daniel Kolenda expressed optimism that the landmark crusade will transform the Church not only in Nigeria but also across the continent. “I’m thrilled to join with Reinhard in this vision, and know that the results of this crusade will be farther reaching and of even greater consequence than we can even imagine.”

Expressing the optimism that the mother-of-all-crusades in Lagos would be an explosion in line with God’s commission to Bonnke, Kolenda says: “Ever since God gave Evangelist Bonnke a vision for a blood-washed Africa—a continent washed in the blood of Jesus Christ over 40 years ago—he has been filled with a burning commitment to win the continent for Jesus.”

Nigeria is troubled on many fronts as its economy struggles out of recession. Cases of armed robberies, kidnappings, cultism and ritual killings have not only become widespread, but have also further compounded the country’s economic woes as youth unemployment escalates and politicians squabble for pecuniary things.

“All these have fouled the air, putting the country in greater need of spiritual cleansing, says Apostle Alexander Bamgbola, Chairman Central Working Committee of the Crusade. The organizers also say that all Christian groups will effectively participate in the all-important crusade that will also pray for Nigeria’s socio-political leadership and revival.

According to Bamgbola: “”For the crusade to be planned for this period of grave challenges for our beleaguered city and nation indicates a gathering momentum in the heaven-lies that will turn out providential not only for Lagos, but indeed for our country, which is pivotal to global evangelization.”

He urged believers to see the crusade as “God’s programme deliberately orchestrated to redeem famished souls of millions and transform our sin-laden environment with salvation.”

CFaN describes Bonnke’s return to Nigeria for his final international crusade as divine, because the preacher has specific revelation and call to help the country fix its social fabrics and economy.