On 7 December 2019, Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke founder of Christ for All Nations (CfaN) closed his earthly chapter, when he transited to glory. In that earthly chapter were bevies of different pages. In one of those pages was his visit to Benin City 20 years ago for the great Gospel crusade. The crusade held from 5-9 October, 1999 at the Garrick Memorial Secondary School ground opposite the Ekhewan Campus of the University of Benin.
At
the time, it was his first visit to Nigeria since the 1991 planned crusade in
Kano sparked religious riot. As a result, that 1999 crusade in Benin City was
unique in more ways than one.
There was frenzy and great anticipation in the air all over the city as the crusade drew near. Such large gathering of Christians and non-Christians alike especially one brought about by one man outside Edo State had not been witnessed by many including me up to that moment. The Deputy governor Mike Ogiadohme at the time had indicated that it was indeed the largest gathering of any kind in the state.
A
year earlier, in my local church assembly, a group or cell as some opt to
call it was established. It had an evangelistic mandate to follow-up new comers
and new converts. I had joined it when it was formed. As a result, a year
later, when counselors were selected that would attend to the harvest of souls
that was being anticipated at the crusade, I was picked as a counselor. There
was an identification card with the bearer’s name and name of church inscribed
on it. 
On
the days of the Crusade, churches that were part of it, had designated points,
with the CfaN booklets "Now That You are Saved" as well as the a new
converts decision form attached to it to take the personal details of these new
converts.
The
crusade held just four months after Nigeria moved out from the clutches of
military rule, and such large gathering was uncommon and unprecedented. Another
thing that stood out, was the sophistication of the equipment used using the
crusade. The nature of the sound system meant the speakers could be held for miles, as far as Ring road
and beyond. The stanchion used in elevation of the huge sound speakers was also a new innovation many hadn't
seen before for a crusade.
The
unity of purpose among church leaders was evident too, as most worked
together to attain the aim of reconciling people to Christ during the event.
It
was interesting doing this in those days. The passion was infectious. The body of Christ at the time had a
focus and, it hadn't attained most of the notoriety that it is associated with
these days, because of those that have continue to desecrate the faith by
their unbiblical acts and omissions. The core focus then was the ministry of
reconciliation. Bringing people to Christ was what drove most Christians at the
time. While, this still largely hold sway, the spirit of discernment has become
an absolute necessity to know the genuine worshipers of
God.
The
city of Benin was willing and this was evident by the enthusiasm displayed by
all and sundry. Even the downpour that visited the city during the week of the
programme did not dampen the spirit. So it was, in the days of the crusade, the
ground was packed with thousands of people who came from far and near. As vehicles
were mostly restricted after the close of each day, I engaged in my own share
of trekking at the time from Ekhewan road through Edebiri, to Plymouth and
subsequently through to Ring road to board a bus home.
On one of the nights of the crusade, after the close of that day's session, I stopped by at the home of a mentor the late Engineer Noble Egharevba, whose flat at Edebiri was just a few yards from the crusade ground, and it was a route that huge crowds walked through at the close of each day’s session. He wasn't at home, but his Mum whom we fondly called Mama J was. So it was an extension of seeing him with her around.
On one of the nights of the crusade, after the close of that day's session, I stopped by at the home of a mentor the late Engineer Noble Egharevba, whose flat at Edebiri was just a few yards from the crusade ground, and it was a route that huge crowds walked through at the close of each day’s session. He wasn't at home, but his Mum whom we fondly called Mama J was. So it was an extension of seeing him with her around.
Those
where days when there was no mobile phone, so the problem of being mugged and
losing your mobile device at night while in a large crowd wasn't an issue at
the time.
Evangelist Reinhard
Bonnke had a patent simplistic way of preaching the gospel and breaking it
down for everyone to grab the message he was passing across especially his audience. He shared a light moment
during the Benin crusade that the crowd on the days he preached became accustomed
to. During his sermons, he always exclaimed using the letter "eee" in
a drawn-out fashion. An expression the crowd later picked up and always
squeaked along with him, whenever he uttered it. He observed the crowd
was amused by it, so during the course of the crusade, he used it several
times, and when the crowd quipped along, he always had a pristine grin. It was a
moment that the interpreter also found amusing. He preached on the opening
night, while Peter Vandenberg mounted the podium the following day.
While the Benin City crusade held in the evenings, the Fire Conference for church
workers and ministers commenced the morning of the following day. It held at
the headquarters of the New Covenant Gospel Church. I attended a session. The place was crammed. Besides, the
time the auditorium was dedicated in May, 1994 by Archbishop Benson Idahosa, as
well as the several meetings held there when it was still under construction;
it was the highest number of people to have gathered at the auditorium as a
completed edifice. The gallery, basement, and entire ground floor were packed.
The same could be said of those that couldn't find a place to sit inside. There
were television monitors everywhere including at the basement where I was.
On the final day of the conference, Reinhard Bonnke did something extraordinary. He laid hands on everybody in attendance in that meeting. Because of the sheer number of people there that day, he stood on a table by the pulpit which enabled him to stand some feet above the floor, so as people walked by his left and right side this enabled him to put his hands on the heads of two persons at once. It made the process faster. Everything was organised, those in the gallery and ground floor were the first people he attended to, before those of us at the basement were ushered into the auditorium in a queue of two to be touched by him. While, he did this, Pastor Jude a gospel singer from Church of God Mission, sang for hours with such panache and fervour that day.
On the final day of the conference, Reinhard Bonnke did something extraordinary. He laid hands on everybody in attendance in that meeting. Because of the sheer number of people there that day, he stood on a table by the pulpit which enabled him to stand some feet above the floor, so as people walked by his left and right side this enabled him to put his hands on the heads of two persons at once. It made the process faster. Everything was organised, those in the gallery and ground floor were the first people he attended to, before those of us at the basement were ushered into the auditorium in a queue of two to be touched by him. While, he did this, Pastor Jude a gospel singer from Church of God Mission, sang for hours with such panache and fervour that day.
An
unsavoury episode of the Benin crusade twenty years ago that relatively took
the shine off the programme was the demise of several persons on the opening
night of the event. This was due to a stampede. I wasn't aware that such an
ugly incident occurred until well into the second day of the programme. It was
a sad episode. However, everything regarding the programme eventually passed
off without incidence. There was always an announcement during subsequent nights
after that incident urging people to thread carefully while leaving the
ground.
The
impact of the great Gospel crusade on Benin City had the time was enormous. The
crusade came at the dawn of a new millennium, which meant it was timely. And as
a result, thousands of persons entered the new millennium in the new birth. I could
still recall the size of new converts’ forms that my group as well as others
had to sort out for effective follow-up.
Evangelist
Reinhard Bonnke traversed the length and breadth of Africa, turning people to
Christ. In this, it would always be said in the annals of sharing the gospel of
Jesus Christ on the continent that this great man walked through Benin City in his life time. A page that would always be captured in the chapters of his life on Earth.
