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Herald Reporter
German evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, who drew huge crowds in African countries, including Zimbabwe, died on Saturday at the age of 79.
Bonnke was born in 1940 in what was then Konigsberg in Germany, now Kaliningrad in the Russian Federation.
A post on the organisation’s Facebook page confirmed the death of the evangelist: “It is with sorrow that the Bonnke family would like to announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, and grandfather, Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke.”
Bonnke became involved in missionary work in Africa at a very young age and in 1974 founded the Christ For All Nations mission organisation, which was head-quartered in South Africa and later in Germany.
In April 1986, Bonnke who was then the director of Christ for all Nations, held a gathering at Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) where more than 4 000 Christians took part.
Wherever Bonnke went, he was preceded by a circus-like yellow tent that held a congregation of 10 000.
His activities in Africa at times stirred controversy.
In 1991, there were religious riots in the Nigerian city of Kaduna after police granted permission for Bonnke to hold a revival meeting and thousands of Muslims took to the streets in uproar.
At least eight people were reported killed.
Online Reporter