Christ for All Nations
http://www.cfan.org
What is it?
Evangelical, preaching ministry.Focuses on preaching to large crowds to help as many people as
possible hear the gospel and believe.
Follow up consists of incorporating people into local churches.
Mission Field:
Mainly, Africa. Sometimes they visit oMission Field:
Mainly, Africa. Sometimes they visit other third world countries.
What is it not?
A discipleship ministry.Mark 16:15-18
What is it not?
A discipleship ministry.Evangelism: "It is the fiery chariot of the Holy Spirit, a burning
messenger with a burning message on wheels of fire." --Reinhard Bonnke
According to Bonnke, his evangelism has two main points:
1. A simple gospel message to save people. He calls it, "the
concentrated gospel, the ABC's, that only Jesus is the Savior."
2. Accompanied by the demonstration of the Spirit's power. First, in
speaking tongues, and then in healing. He expects this to be
demonstrated on those who being saved through the message as well.
History of the ministry:
Bonnke and his wife and young son went to Lesotho (a small kingdom
near South Africa) as missionaries in 1969. They say that they served
as missionaries in the "traditional way," but it was burning on his
heart to start an evangelical ministry. They began Christ for All
Nations in 1974, in Botswana. First, they started a Bible class. Only
5 people came and they were discouraged. His team in Africa then had
the idea to start a crusade, preaching in a stadium for several nights
and then going on to another city. 100 people came on the first night.
They were at first disappointed because they rented out a stadium and
only 100 people came. But as he started preaching, people started to
stand up and shout that they were being healed. When news of this
healing spread, many more people started to come to the meetings, and
by God through the sixth night thousands of people had come, filling
the stadium.
They continued to do crusades like this to large crowds, which
involved preaching and healing. Crusades lasted 6 days. They are done
roughly 10 times a year. Now the ministry preaches to hundreds of
thousands of people each night of a crusade. Crusades are also held
once a year in Asian countries, such as Malaysia, the Philippines, and
India.
Those that accept Jesus and believe are encouraged to submit a
"decision" card, stating their decision to believe in Jesus as their
Savior. And from that card, there is follow up to incorporate them
into local churches. Tens of millions have turned in decision cards.
Bonnke's vision is 100 million counted by the end of this decade.
Bonnke has been doing this kind of crusade ministry for more than 40
years. Recently, he established a successor, Daniel Kolenda, an
American from Florida. They also produce literature, television shows,
and conferences in first world countries to equip evangelists to
preach and go out to third world countries.
History of Reinhard Bonnke
In 1922, his grandfather was sick and close to death. A lost
missionary from Assemblies of God from the US, Louis Graf, met with
his grandfather and healed him. The missionary didn't say he was lost,
he met the village and said, "Is anyone sick and close to death here?"
And was led to his grandfather. After healing, Louis Graf said that he
had more to do and laid his hands on them and the grandfather and
grandmother began to speak in tongues.
Father was a born again Christian in the German army. Was sick and
wanted to get out as Hitler was rising in power. He prayed that he
wanted to offer his life to Jesus to preach the gospel and not fight
earthly wars anymore. Then Jesus appeared in his room and said that he
was pleased with his decision.
How Reinhard came to believe in Jesus. When he was nine years old in
Germany, he started to steal money from his mother's purse to buy
candies. She caught him one day and told him that he was a thief, and
that the Bible says that thieves go to hell. But Jesus came to save
sinners like you. That day he gave his life to Jesus and he never
stole again. At ten years old, God gave him the direction to be a
missionary to Africa.
Good points to consider:
1. Passionate and zealous preaching.
2. Simple gospel message, "the concentrated gospel, the ABC's, only
Jesus is the Savior."
3. Encouraging a response via the decision cards. Expectations:
decision cards -- there is an expectation of the audience to get
hooked up with a church and get discipled.
discipleship group signups.4. Goal to save souls. The word "harvest" is used a lot. He believed
Jesus' word that the fields are ripe for harvest (John 4:35).
5. Rely on the power of God through the Holy Spirit on the preacher,
and looking to see the work of the Holy Spirit in the audience.
6. Training of local people: staff -- mostly, it has been Bonnke and a
small team. Volunteers are invited, but they do not get a free ride.
Everything is must be paid for by the volunteer. Africans (locals) are
trained to prepare the crusades. Any volunteers from outside of Africa
are warned that there will not be much work for them to do because the
locals are trained to prepare everything.
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