Evangelist, Reinhard Bonnke, has issued a warning to members of the
public and, especially, participants at his ongoing Farewell Crusade
holding in Lagos, that he does not collect offerings during his
crusades.
“We are here to bless you; we have brought you gifts of salvation and
deliverance; we are here to give and not to take anything from you.
“Anyone who asks you to give offering for this crusade is a thief and
should be reported immediately,” the sponsors of the crusade, Christ for
All Nations, warns participants on Thursday at the crusade ground.
This is coming following rumors that a certain unscrupulous persons
might want to tarnish the credibility of the preacher by seizing the
opportunity offered by the huge crowd at Bonnke’s crusade to raise money
for personal use.
Observers opine that Bonnke’s decision is a radical departure from what
critics see as “normal practice” by some open-air preachers who urge
crusade participants to donate money for offering and other projects.
A respondent, 50-year-old Mr. Ifeanyi Duru, said Bonnke’s decision to
not raise offerings at his crusades is “an attestation to his sincerity”
in only being concerned about “the salvation of souls.”
Duru recalled that as a student in the University of Benin in the mid
1980s, a popular preacher from the region (name withheld) had to contend
with the activities of people he described as “rogues” who tried to
raise unofficial offerings from the crowd.
“The preacher, who is now late, had decided to collect offering during
his open-air crusades, but some unscrupulous persons tried to outsmart
him,” Duru said.
“The colours to be used were announced just a few seconds to the
commencement of each offering collection; and because the rogues had no
prior idea, they were defeated in their purpose,” Duru said.
He, however, commended Bonnke’s “caring heart” for refusing to succumb
to what he called “the temptation to exploit the crowd,” who he said
would have given “generously” if asked.