Reinhard Bonnke

Reinhard Bonnke (1940–2019) was a German evangelist and the founder of Christ for All Nations (CfaN), established in 1974. He became known for large outdoor evangelistic campaigns across Africa. CfaN's official obituary describes his missionary career and his emphasis on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Daniel Kolenda succeeded him in the ministry.

Bonnke's own published teaching deserves to be assessed directly. In Godly Gems, published by CfaN, he calls for repentance and trust in Jesus, identifies Jesus as the only Savior, and points readers to Christ's completed work on the cross rather than their ability to save themselves. He also explicitly teaches redemption through the blood of Jesus in the section Image of God in Man. These are substantial gospel affirmations and a clear positive in this assessment. The material reviewed here does not establish that Bonnke taught Kenneth Copeland's distinctive Word of Faith doctrines.

There is nevertheless a documented reason for caution. KCM's November 27, 2024 account traces its partnership with CfaN to 1984, during Bonnke's leadership. It also recounts Copeland delivering a prophecy to Bonnke about the scale of future evangelistic meetings. We regard the CfaN–KCM partnership, begun under Bonnke and continued under Kolenda, as a major negative in this assessment. Publicly supporting a ministry gives its teaching credibility with listeners; this site identifies serious doctrinal errors in Copeland's teaching. A sound emphasis on the cross does not cancel that concern. Partnership is relevant to discernment, but does not by itself prove agreement with every doctrine taught by a partner.

In the video quotation reproduced below from 1:55, Bonnke thanks the Copelands, credits their checks with saving his ministry from collapse, and expresses his belief that they and their partners will share in the reward for its fruit. We regard this public endorsement as a serious failure of discernment: his words commend the donors spiritually as well as acknowledge their financial help. On that basis, we do not include Bonnke among the teachers we recommend as faithful and reliable, even while recognizing his teaching on the blood of Jesus and the cross.

We therefore place Bonnke under Exercise Caution. This is a provisional editorial assessment of the sources listed below, not a designation as a false teacher or a judgment on his salvation. His own words, practices and decisions must carry the assessment. Events organized by CfaN after his death in December 2019 are not evidence of decisions he personally made.