One of the world's most well-known evangelists, Reinhard Bonnke, has died at the age of 79.

Bonnke spent six decades in ministry, best known for his crusades in Africa.

"All told, more than 79-million people made Christ their Lord as a result of Evangelist Bonnke’s ministry," Christ For All Nations (CFAN) evangelist Daniel Kolenda says in an online post. "Bonnke was best known for his gospel outreach campaigns throughout Africa. It is no exaggeration to say that his work transformed the continent."

Bonnke's family says that "He passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on December 7, 2019."

The Pentecostal preacher had stepped down from ministry in 2017 due to poor health.

Bonnke had a massive following in Africa. His open-air crusades gathered hundreds of thousands of people and one event in 2000 in Lagos, Nigeria, drew 1.6 million attendees according to CFAN.

Condolences have poured in from around the world, including Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari.

In a statement posted to Twitter, Buhari says, "Bonnke’s crusades in Nigeria, across Africa and the globe strongly accentuated the message of Jesus Christ, & his vision and zeal for the salvation of souls clearly helped the world in understanding the power of love & kindness as universal language."

Bonnke did draw criticism from both skeptics and other Christians at times. He claimed to have raised the dead and heal the deaf, blind, and disabled.

His events were also marked by violence at times. At least eight people died during riots in 1991 after he announced plans to visit a Muslim area of Nigeria. In 1999, 16 people died in a stampede during a rally in another Nigerian city.

Bonnke is survived by his wife, Anni, and three adult children.