History was made in Lagos, Nigeria, last week when Reinhard Bonnke, the 77-year-old German-born world evangelist, in a blaze of glory and at a ceremony beamed live to the whole world, successfully transferred power to Daniel Kolenda, a 30-year-old American-born firebrand, at a ‘passing the torch’ ceremony.
Bonnke, who addressed a five-day Farewell Gospel Crusade that drew multitude of people from across continents of the world to the Sparklight Estate venue of the event, chose to anoint Kolenda at a morning session of fire conference meant for church leaders and ministers.
On the choice of Kolenda as successor, Bonnke said: “The Lord specifically told me that He has appointed and anointed Daniel Kolenda as my successor.”
He also explained that he is already 77 years old and does not want to get to the peak of evangelism and then just drop sharply, adding that he had already trained Daniel Kolenda, who he described as a young man, and who he expects will take the ministry high.
“When the ‘passing on the torch happens’, it will have serious global effect and I believe this is the will of God. As long as God keeps me, I will continue to evangelise, I am after sowing for Jesus, I am not after money, I believe in sowing for Christ and I promise to do as much as I can,” he had said a few days earlier.
Bonnke presented to the congregation, his successor, Evangelist Kolenda, who he prayed for before the worshippers and asked them to also pray for him, as the one to continue his evangelistic ministry.
Kolenda has been under the tutelage of Bonnke since age 22. Bonnke, who started his evangelistic ministry at the age of 27 in Lesotho, fifty years ago, said God specifically told him his farewell crusade should be in Nigeria.
The renowned evangelist must have decided to commission Kolenda before other ministers of the gospel and church founders in Nigeria just as a lesson in succession planning.
Before the ‘passing the torch’ ceremony, Kolenda had learnt from Bonnke the humility that goes with a God-called minister and how to ascribe all glory to God whatever level of divine interventions and manifestations in the lives of the people in the course of his ministration.
Many Nigerians were flabbergasted that Bonnke chose Nigeria as a place to “hang his boots” in his evangelistic outreaches.
He had, on Monday, November 6, 2017, explained the reason for Nigeria as the venue while addressing a world press conference at the Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island on his arrival into Nigeria for the five-day engagement.
“I am after souls not after money; I can see a ripe harvest in Nigeria because of the large population. Also, I have top of my best friends in Nigeria and on top of it all, I love Nigerians,” he said.
What next after the crusade? Is he retiring from preaching the gospel? Bonnke emphasised that he would not be engaging in intercontinental crusades, hence the need to anoint a successor. Bonnke’s decision to choose someone who is not his son, a relative of his or from his country, but one who possesses the Charisma and the unction for the work, from America, has been noted by many as hard lesson for many Nigerian church leaders.
Whereas in Nigeria, many ministers run their ministries like a secular outfit where they put their children and blood relations in positions of authority, without regard to competence, Bonnke believes soul-winning must not be sacrificed on the altar of pecuniary considerations.
In Nigeria, family businesses hardly outlive their founders because of lack of concrete plan for sustenance. This is also the case with many churches, particularly, those that were established as money-making ventures.
Some observers say that a good number of church founders/leaders in Nigeria, those who are not willing to handover to their children or relations, try to play the ostrich by carrying on without considering the issue of succession.
“Their attitude to such important issue is that it will take care of itself at their exit. Such church founders do not want to rock the boat. They don’t want to be called names and they simply want to exit quietly without seeing dirty fight over who succeeds them. But that does not help matters,” said Abiodun Oyeyemi, a budding pastor with a Pentecostal church in Lagos.
Oyeyemi noted that the level of fighting in some churches over positions may have scared some of the founders from making any pronouncement about who takes over from them.
“Our society has become so perverse that people go as far as trying to eliminate any one suspected to be the likely successor of a general overseer or general superintendent. Once there is anything that gives indication that Brother this or Brother that has been selected to succeed the general overseer, you begin to see attacks from all corners. But my attitude to such things is, if the person or persons selected is (are) God’s anointed, there’s nothing anybody can do to kill such a person. I believe so much in the advice Gamaliel gave to the Pharisees concerning the persecution of the apostles. He told them to leave the apostles alone; if their mission was not of God it would crumble; but if they were powered by God, nothing would stop it.
“Our church leaders, particularly those who are advanced in age, should begin to seek God’s face on possible successors,” he further explained.
Another cleric, who told BDSUNDAY that he witnessed the transfer of power and authority from Bonnke to Kolenda said he came close to shedding tears.
“It was a solemn session. I am very sure that God allowed it to take place in Lagos, Nigeria, where we have the highest number of churches and founders in Africa. Many of our church leaders have become like sit-tight politicians; although their capabilities are waning as a result of age, they don’t give any indication that their time is up. Some of them insist on putting their children as their successor; some of them who have no male children to succeed them, go as far as installing their daughters, wives or other relations to take over the leadership of the church. If they were led of God to do so, I wouldn’t bother, but they are seeing the church with the same eyes they see family business; it is unfortunately. You know what struck me most was that Bonnke is a German, while Kolenda is American. I came close to tears when the young man knelt before his master for that all-important transfer of power and authority. It is indeed a lesson for us all here in Nigeria,” said the cleric, who craved anonymity.
Bonnke was full of concern for Nigeria. The stunted growth of the Nigeria, in all aspects of its life, moved the world evangelist to make an agonising intercession for her.
On the very last day of the crusade, Bonnke had announced he was going to preach his very last message on the African soil. He urged Nigeria to return to God. During his prayer ministrations, he prayed for individuals, their businesses, healing and all manner of challenges in people’s lives. He specifically prayed for President Muhammadu Buhari; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and for the healing of Nigeria, a nation that has sunken so deep in the mire of sin and hopelessness. He urged armed robbers to exchange their guns for the bible. The deepness of the prayers he made on the last day was tantamount to exorcising Nigeria of all the demons of corruption; immorality, wickedness; leadership ineptitude and other forms of demonic influence on Nigeria.
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