Luis Palau – Evangelist

Profile of: Evangelist, Luis Palau

faith_palauMore than four decades after arriving in America from his native Argentina, Luis Palau is more intent than ever to follow his calling: to spread the powerful word of God throughout the world. Whether on stage speaking to crowds of a quarter million people; through his radio messages heard daily in over 40 countries; or in counsel and prayer with leaders from the local church to the White House, Palau consistently remains one of the world’s most effective and compelling spiritual communicators.

From his early days sharing the Gospel on the streets of Buenos Aires to the “Great music & Good News” festival evangelism ministry that has had a positive impact on audiences around the globe, Luis Palau has continually inspired the millions who have heard his message of faith and hope. In 2006, Palau is keeping an ages-old faith fresh and alive for the 21st century.

Unlike many of his contemporaries, Luis Palau embraced the new millennium – and contemporary life and culture – long before it arrived. His festival evangelism ministry, which travels to numerous cities and countries each year, has all the best elements of today’s most popular music festivals (everything from hot contemporary music acts and exotic foods to a state-of-the-art action sports skate park).

Though these elements help draw huge crowds and provide free, family-friendly entertainment, Palau never loses sight of his ministry’s ultimate goal: to share to claims of Christ with a troubled world in troubled times.

A nation will not be moved by timid methods,” says Palau, explaining why his free festivals have attracted millions of young people and families of all races and denominations. “Today’s young people understand music and technology, but few have an understanding of what a life walked in faith can produce. They don’t know the person of Jesus Christ – that He is alive, that He is divine, and that He wants every one of us to know Him personally.”

luispalauWhat makes Luis Palau’s ministry so effective is its non-traditional and “open arms” approach. Each year, Palau stages 4-6 major festivals in the U.S. and abroad. These world-class, full multi-media productions feature the biggest names in Christian music, from rock to rap to gospel. In addition, the Palau team – in partnership with another Palau ministry called “Livin’ It” – erects a massive skate park in each city that showcases some of the top Christian athletes in the action sports of skateboarding, BMX and motocross. For children, there is a tie-in with VeggieTales, one of the most popular family video franchises in history.

The festivals are always free and open to everyone. The finances are raised behind the scenes, and there is never a financial offering requested from the massive crowds. Palau Festivals are able to do this by overseeing a highly professional and strategically organized operation that spends nearly two years building financial and spiritual support from hundreds of area churches and businesses and from national resources as well.

Palau’s organization has over 100 full time staff people on four continents; thousands of volunteers and local supporters join in as the festival dates approach. The ministry is led day-to-day by Palau’s adult sons (Kevin, Keith and Andrew), whom he credits with helping him realize how much evangelism needed a fresh, modern approach if it was to communicate the claims of Christ in contemporary society.

”We work hard with business people, professional people,” he says. “We start with the area churches and supplement it with financial support from businesses and individuals. We work night and day to keep the operation one of total integrity.”

All of this enables Palau to keep the entire festival focused on the entertainment and the spiritual message, one that is also unlike that of many of his contemporaries.

We emphasize Christ more than Christianity or denominations,” Palau says. “We focus on what Christians are for, not what we might be against. As an evangelist, my role is to share the Good News of our Savior: we leave the politics to others.”

Some Biblical Christians and evangelists have made an issue out of one or two major concerns, and that’s it,” says Palau. “What we seek always to be is more than a ministry that only deals with two or three particular sins. We want them to know answers to: ‘Who is Christ? What can He do? Can He really change my life? What does it mean?’ That’s what we’re really trying to do. We want people to think of Christianity differently. And of Christ differently.”

Palau’s lively and relevant messages – and the invitation to follow Jesus Christ – are the core and heart of it all, but they’re effectively surrounded by performances by the nation’s biggest Christian acts.

“These Christian musicians are very spiritual people.” he says. “The music is contemporary and not always to everyone’s particular tastes, but the musicians are committed, grounded, and very effective at reaching people through their music. Christianity is contemporary – it’s for today. Christ is alive today! He understands and loves today’s kids and wants them to be part of God’s kingdom.”

Born into an affluent family in Argentina, Palau discovered Christ while still a child at home with his parents. His father died when Palau was 10, and Luis soon became the sole support for his mother and five sisters. He recalls days when the sole meal for the family was a single loaf of bread. While still a teenage, he began his lifelong vision for world evangelism by preaching on street corners.

He entered the banking industry, become a successful executive before entering Multnomah Biblical Seminary in Portland, Oregon, where he met his wife, Patricia. Together they embarked on a missionary journey that took them throughout Latin America. They took the Gospel to places where, all too often, they weren’t welcome.

Luis and Pat began building an evangelistic team and aiding other evangelists-—including interpreting for Billy Graham, a primary influence on Luis’ own ministry. In the 1970s, invitations started coming from Europe and other parts of the world. By the early 1980s, Luis Palau’s ministry had made a great impact in Western Europe and new doors were opening around the globe.

Not until the 1990s did Luis focus on the United States – by 1996, he’d led evangelistic crusades in 15 U.S. cities. Yet despite continuing invitations, the Palau team felt it was time for a change.

We were on the verge of saying, ‘OK, maybe somehow God doesn’t want us in America.’ The crowds were OK, but we weren’t getting through.”

“We began to realize that the classic ‘campaign model’ – uniformed choir, the suits on the platform, the old hymns – wasn’t the way to go for us,” Luis says. “We want to attract the un-churched, and we want them to encounter God, and bring them all to Christ and to understand and to connect. We also want to unite and energize the church community wherever we go.”

Palau, at the suggestion of his sons, moved to the current method of “Festival evangelism” in 1999. Since then, over 4.5 million people have heard the Good News at a Palau Festival.

We wouldn’t ever go back to the old method. This is for today,” he says.

Today, Palau maintains his operation in Portland, Oregon but brings his message to the world, from China to Western Europe, from South Florida to South America.=

“I’d love to see a massive breakthrough,” he says. “An international revival of Christianity. I’d love to see the nations truly reawaken where not just a few thousand, but millions discover Christ again. That is my dream.”

Have you ever felt like you’re looking for meaning in all the wrong place? Are you circling round and round but still not finding happiness? Perhaps it’s time you asked Jesus to help you take stock of your life before a crisis hits. If you don’t know Jesus, we encourage you to pray the following:

Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me be the person you want me to be.

10 Responses to “Luis Palau – Evangelist”

  • Edward says:

    Please pray for my two sons who live in Vietnam as working Americans. No.1 son has been there for 12 years and No.2 son just moved there in summer of 2011. Please pray that they return to their faith in Christ as they had when younger…i love them but am not in touch.

    thank you and Gods Blessings to you and your ministry

    EJ

  • Brenda says:

    Lord Jesus, I ask that You would richly bless Edward’s two sons; You know and love them intimately, and You desire that they follow You even more than Edward does. O Lord, I join with Edward in praying that You would place a deep longing for You in both of their hearts and, also, dear Father, that You would bring this family together in loving unity according to Your holy will in Christ Jesus. These things I ask in Your precious name, Lord Jesus. Amen.

  • Dear brothers in the Lord,

    Cavary greetings to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Who is coming again for His church.
    I am a Pastor, living in Bukavu, South Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo and I have a burden to preach the Gospel and Church planting; So, I knew you through your Website and I do much appreciate your activities that’s why I decide to write you this message.

    So, please, I invite you to come and minister to my people here in DRC for the Glory of the Lord.

    I will appreciate to your response soon, please.

    In His service together,

    Pastor Mwamba Watekwa Eusphate

  • Jamie Jamie says:

    Hi Mwamba Watekwa, I am not sure if anyone from Luis Palau’s association monitors this article about him but you can visit their site directly at http://www.palau.org/ and talk with them about a potential partnership.

  • Robin Lanter says:

    I was saved at a convention you had in Phoenix, Arizona years ago. I don’t remember the exact year but it was somewhere around 1989 I think. I would like to find out exactly when you were in Phoenix for that week long meeting. If possible I would like to get the videos of those nights. I only got to the last three nights. My sister dragged me tooth and nail to those meetings. I was not a believer then. But the last night you gave an invitation to receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I wasn’t going to go. I wouldn’t have gone down but God spoke to me and changed my mind. I want to write my testimony down on paper but I have forgotten some of the details. As far as what God said to me, I will never forget that! Can you please help me get the details of the year you preached in Phoenix, Arizona? Thanks

  • Jamie Jamie says:

    Hi Robin, thank you for sharing your story here. Thank God for family members who love us enough to drag us to places where we can meet Jesus.

    I don’t think Luis Palau monitors the comments here on this article, but you can contact him through his organization’s website http://www.palau.org/about/contact-us They might be able to help you track down the information about the meetings that you attended in Phoenix.

    “May the Lord Jesus give you strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:18-19)

  • Seraphine says:

    Dear Brethren ,
    Greetings and blessings, I am Seraphine Shahbaz from Pakistan. I am serving for my Lord since 2003 .God is using me for poor and orphan children ( Charity School ) Sunday School , To share the word of God in street prayers ,in women and youth groups and in churches. We also have Bible College .We need Urdu Bibles KJV for our Bible students and Sunday School children .Please send us Urdu Bibles and Sunday School materials and stationeries.
    But many time in dreams God push me to do Evangelism work and God give me the message “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”.God give me this message many time but I ignore this message first time God give me in Feb5,2011. The second message God give me Gen 2:18 about first relation of the world , God said very important relation in the world is Husband and wife its first relation and the third message is about youth God show me the character of Joseph and David . I just deliver these messages only in my church I cannot work on it in Crusades and other communities because I have less resources its tough for me. I don’t work on it Whenever I cannot work on it .Then I become sick in 2013 and my body like dead . Now on July, 28,2016 whenever I was in Healing crusade their God again talk with me and push me to do work for me God show me all dreams in that prayer meeting . Now God heal me complete and ask me do my work.
    I thanks God that God give me new life. I devote my life for my Lord.
    I request you kindly help me in this God work. I want to organize Crusades to teach the people about Kingdom of Heaven , Youth seminars and Couple Seminars in different areas of Pakistan where the people will save and follow God word. We also need to open Bible College in my area to make disciples of Jesus .and extend my church work. We have our Annual Convention on October 28, 2016 to October 30,2016. We request kindly support us at this event for the Glory of God.
    I am also offer my services to translate and recording your Books, sermon , articles and literature English into Urdu and Punjabi in very low rates.
    I request kindly open your branch in Pakistan visit us and do Evangelism in Pakistan.
    May God Bless you.
    Seraphine Shahbaz

  • Elkay says:

    Dear Seraphine . . . I salute your work in spreading the Kingdom of God in Pakistan and will pray for success through the power of the Holy Spirit. Everything you are doing has eternal significance and your work will be richly rewarded in God’s eternal kingdom so I strongly urge you to keep up this good fight. I praise and thank God for the healing He did in your life and for the way you seek to bring Him glory.

    Because we are an internet-based, non-profit organization, we are unable to send free hardcopy materials to you. However, you can freely download Urdu bibles at this site . . . http://www.christiansinpakistan.com/urdu-bible/ and you may also find support for your evangelism at the home of that “Christians in Pakistan” web site,

    “Heavenly Father, Seraphine is striving to spread Your kingdom and bring the glorious news that Jesus, the Son of God, became man for us, that He died to save us from our sins, was raised by Your power and has been established as Lord over all things to people in Pakistan. He needs additional resources, Your Holy Scripture in particular, and so we thank You that it can be freely downloaded in the Urdu language. We ask Your supernatural blessings on his evangelistic work, that You surround him with protection and greatly multiply his efforts to spread the Gospel. This is the cause that Jesus started and we thank You that Seraphine is actively continuing it. This is our prayer in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

  • edward qaser says:

    Dear Brother /Sister ,

    It is my privilege to have an email with you. I am Pastor Edward Qaser from Lahore , Pakistan. I am serving the Lord Jesus Christ with Evangelistic and Humanity based ministry , to glorify His name and there is good team of Ministers working with us in the field of Harvest in Pakistan. Our main focus is to reach to unreached with Love of Christ.
    People of Pakistan need of knowing about the truth and Love of our Lord Jesus Christ especially the poor people are deprived one.
    Dear , EGM Pakistan is a Humanity base organization and working for the development of the human beings its main object is to mitigate the effects of poverty, disease, illiteracy, disasters, human rights abuse and environmental degradation, on the human race at grass roots level and against all odds, restore its decorum.
    We accomplish this mission by implementing various community based programs like Empowerment of women projects , Computer Centers, Sewing Centers, Relief in disasters, Provide food to Poor and Disable families, Orphan Center, Scholarship for Poor and Needy Students .
    I want to invite you with great love and encouraging words to come to Pakistan and bring the Good News of Lord Jesus with people of Pakistan. Only 2.8 % Christian in Pakistan out of 200 million people , so there is an urgent need of Servants of the Lord.
    May Lord lay burden on your heart for your Pakistani brethren .
    We are inviting you come to Pakistan to conduct crusades, seminars, Leadership conferences and Evangelical Meetings … Hope to hear from you as soon as….

    God Bless you
    Edward Qaser ( Director )
    [it is our policy not to publish contact information]
    website :- http://www.egm.org.pk

  • Sharon says:

    good article wow luis palau has been witnessing for a long time good for him

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