Luis Palau, an evangelical pastor who was born in Argentina and went to work with Billy Graham before founding his own international power equipment, has died at his home in Portland, Oregon.
The Luis Palau Assn. said he died Thursday at the age of 86. He announced in January 2018 that he had been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.
‘With a mixture of sadness and joy that we share with you, Dad passed away early this morning. “He died suddenly and very peacefully, just as he had hoped,” his family said in a statement. “This is hard news, but Luis is experiencing the beauty of the Lord face to face.”
Born into a wealthy family in Buenos Aires, Palau rose from the darkness and became one of the most famous international Christian evangelists. During a career of more than half a century, he wrote 50 books and addressed more than 30 million people in 75 countries at evangelical “festivals” that were the contemporary version of the more traditional crusades that his mentor and idol, Graham, ‘ gave a boost. , to fame.
‘In many ways I feel that the Lord has much more in store for me. Whatever tomorrow holds – I’m totally at peace. Both Patricia and I are, ‘he wrote to his followers after the diagnosis. “Looking back, we praise the Lord. Fifty-seven years of marriage. How many places have we been. How many people have reached us with the Gospel. ”
His radio programs, including the international Spanish-speaking “Luis Palau Responde”, are broadcast on 3,500 stations in 48 countries and his Portland-based Luis Palau Assn. organizes dozens of events each year on five continents.
The vastness of his evangelical empire, especially among Hispanic believers, earned him the nickname “Billy Graham of Latin America” long ago. A decade ago, Palau began to transfer the day-to-day operations of that empire to three of his four sons, including one who is now an international evangelist in his own right.
“Everything is ready, so if the Lord wants to take me home … I’m ready,” he told his followers in a January 2018 video. “I have preached about heaven … and I have often preached about the Second Coming and the Resurrection, and this is now a reality for me.”
Compassion came from other faith leaders as the news of Palau’s death spread.
‘Luis Palau was the apostle Paul in the Spanish-speaking world. He was a leader for whom God used him to usher in the great revival in South and Central America, and that was just the beginning, ‘said Rev. Johnnie Moore, president of the Congress of Christian Leaders, said. “We have lost a giant in Christian history today.”
James Dobson, who broadcasts the Christian radio program “Family Talk” to 1,300 stations, calls Palau a “beloved friend”.
“His passion for sharing Jesus Christ around the world was immeasurable,” he said in a statement.
Palau was permeated early in his life by his father, a businessman introduced to Christianity by a missionary. But when Palau’s father died, the family experienced difficult times. In an autobiographical video interview on his website, Palau recalls that his mother split a loaf of bread among her children or cut a steak into eight pieces for dinner.
Palau, hoping to become a lawyer, was working an entry-level job at a bank when he heard Graham on the radio in 1952. It was transformative, he would later say, and Palau decided he wanted to become an evangelist himself.
“I would have liked to have had a business or been a lawyer – one of the two – but the real commitment in my life was to win people over to Jesus Christ. There is nothing bigger in the whole world, “he said in an interview on his website.
Palau moved to Oregon in 1960 to attend the Multnomah School of the Bible in Portland and met his future wife, a fellow Bible school student named Pat. The couple married in 1961 and had four sons, who built their early family life around missionary work.
Palau was interned at Graham during a crusade in Fresno in 1962 and served as Graham’s Spanish interpreter during crusades in South and Central America in the 1960s.
Palau began its Spanish language program in Colombia and delivered sermons in Latin America in the 1970s.
Palau, now a U.S. citizen, began attracting tens of thousands after his performances in Colombia, Peru, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico and Spain. In 1978, Palau recorded his ministry in Portland and later set an attendance record in the city’s enormous water park during an evangelistic event.
It was a challenge to reach an American audience. In 1999, Palau shifted its emphasis from traditional crusades – the long-standing staple food of evangelists – to edgier, more modern Christian “festivals” outdoors to attract unbelievers.
The events featured corporate sponsors and featured Christian rock bands, skate parks, and family activities.
“It’s a revolution in everything we do,” Palau said.
Flaccus writes for Associated Press.