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A documentary that will be released this spring aims to dispel the notion that Christianity is in widespread decline by highlighting the potential for a global revival as the message spreads throughout developing nations.
“Multiplied” tracks the ministry of Florida-based evangelist Daniel Kolenda of Christ for All Nations and depicts evangelistic meetings where crowds of more than a million people attended. The outreach events take place in Africa, Asia and Brazil, where documentary filmmaker Chris Worthington recorded them.
“After the passing of Billy Graham in 2018 and then the passing of [Christ for All Nations founder] Reinhard Bonnke in late 2019, I was left with a question: What does the future of evangelism look like? What does Christianity look like moving forward? And, honestly, who is going to replace them?” Mr. Worthington said.
“What I discovered is it’s not about replacing Reinhard Bonnke, it’s not about replacing Billy Graham,” he added. “It’s no longer about a select few famous evangelists, but about an entire generation of thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands preaching the Gospel all over the world.”
This multiplication of effort is the documentary’s theme, as well as Mr. Kolenda’s passion.
The evangelist said the location of the events might lead to a “soft bigotry” in the West, where the numbers are discounted.
“If we had one of these meetings that we have every month in Africa, if we had one of those in New York [City], it would be world news,” Mr. Kolenda said in an interview. “Or if we had one on the National Mall, you’d be talking about it for a year.”
He said the ministry held four successive evangelistic meetings in Nigeria “just a couple of weeks ago and hundreds of thousands of people heard the gospel. I think it is just a sense that a lot of Westerns have that stuff that happens in a [given] part of the world is just not as important, unfortunately.”
Mr. Kolenda said the 50-year-old Christ for All Nations ministry, which has specialized in going to hard-to-reach areas, has garnered 90 million “documented decisions for Christ” since 1987. It has had up to 1.6 million people on a single field and as many as 6 million over the course of a week, he said.
Recalling Christian revivals in the United States, Britain and Europe over the past two centuries, he said “There’s a sense in which it’s Africa’s moment. … It’s a kind of an openness in the hearts of the people.”
The evangelist said a similarly large “massive move of God is happening in South America” and another one in Asia, alongside the response in Africa.
“The majority of the world’s population is in these three places,” Mr. Kolenda said. “In fact, the majority of the world’s population is in Asia alone. I think we’re actually just standing on the threshold of a [revival] season that’s even going to make what we’ve seen so far pale in comparison.”
He said it’s his hope that the documentary will lead Christians here to invite family and friends who are not believers.
“I think this is an opportunity for people to bring unsaved loved ones or people that are seeking,” Mr. Kolenda said. “It’s not a preachy, high-pressure, religious environment, but it would definitely be a catalyst for some very meaningful conversations. And I think that the Holy Spirit can use those opportunities to allow people to win their friends and loved ones for the Lord. It’s an amazing opportunity.”
“Multiplied” from 4 The One Studio and Every Nation Will Bow, will be released in cinemas May 20-21 by Fathom Events.
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