KEY POINTS
- One million worshippers are expected at the CFAN Gospel Crusade in Calabar from Nov. 12 to 15.
- Organisers expect 100,000 counsellors and 5,000 ushers to support the four day programme.
- CFAN says the crusade will focus on evangelism, discipleship and strengthening local churches.
- Organisers also expect the event to generate business activity across the state.
- The programme is expected to promote peace, unity and community engagement.
MAIN STORY
About one million worshippers are expected to converge on Calabar for the Christ for All Nations Gospel Crusade scheduled for Nov. 12 to 15, organisers have said.
The Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria in Cross River, Trinity Ogar, disclosed this during a breakfast meeting with clerics in Calabar on Wednesday.
Ogar said the four day programme, tagged “Calabar 2026”, would involve about 100,000 counsellors and 5,000 ushers as organisers prepare for the expected turnout.
He described the crusade as a major evangelistic programme intended to reach people across Cross River and beyond.
According to him, Cross River is among the 36 states selected to host the CFAN Gospel Crusade.
Ogar said the ministry’s return to Calabar was significant, noting that the late Reinhard Bonnke and David Kolenda had previously visited the city for gospel crusades.
He urged residents, churches and Christians across the state to participate in the programme, which he said was expected to bring conversions, healing, liberation and spiritual revival.
Also speaking, CFAN Africa Regional Director, Rev. John Darku, said the crusade was designed to strengthen existing churches rather than create competition among them.
He explained that converts and new members reached through the programme would be connected with local congregations for continued discipleship and integration after the crusade.
Darku said the organisers expected the impact of the event to extend to the local economy, as visitors could patronise hotels, restaurants, markets, transport services and other businesses during their stay in Calabar.
He also linked the programme to peace and community cohesion, saying the gospel could encourage citizens to regard one another as neighbours rather than rivals.
The regional director said the organisers ultimately hoped to see people move away from destructive lifestyles, families reconciled and individuals restored to God.
THE ISSUES
- The expected turnout makes the crusade a major logistical undertaking, with organisers planning for 100,000 counsellors and 5,000 ushers to support participants throughout the four day programme.
- The organisers are placing emphasis on what happens after the event, particularly the integration of converts and new members into existing churches through discipleship and continued fellowship.
- The expected influx of visitors could create additional demand for accommodation, food, transportation and other services, providing business opportunities for traders, artisans and hospitality operators.
- The organisers also see the programme as a platform for promoting peace and social cohesion by encouraging relationships across ethnic, religious and political differences.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“God is involved, the heavens are fully in support, and we are ready for the move of God in Calabar like never before.” – Trinity Ogar
“This crusade is not designed to compare churches in Cross River. It is designed to strengthen the churches.” – Rev. John Darku
“When the gospel goes forth, citizens begin to see one another not as rivals, but as neighbours under one God.” – Rev. John Darku
WHAT’S NEXT
Organisers are mobilising churches, counsellors, ushers and other participants ahead of the Nov. 12 to 15 programme, while local congregations are expected to support the follow up and discipleship of people reached during the crusade.
BOTTOM LINE
The Calabar 2026 crusade is being positioned as a large scale evangelistic gathering with expected effects on churches, community relations and local business activity.
