Just Days Before the Passing of Famed Evangelist Luis Palau, His Son Andrew was Carrying on the Work with Festival in Florida
NEWS PROVIDED BY
Luis Palau Association
March 22, 2021
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla., March 22, 2021 /Christian Newswire/ -- With news of the passing of famed evangelist Luis Palau, some have wondered what will happen with the ongoing work of the Luis Palau Association. For more than ten years now, three of Luis Palau's sons--Andrew, Kevin, and Keith--have been leading the day-to-day operations and vision of the team. In fact, just days before Luis' passing, his son Andrew was in Florida, working with more than 200 churches on a citywide evangelistic festival that reached thousands of individuals with the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Andrew Palau, who was himself led to Christ through one of his father's campaigns in Kingston, Jamaica in 1993, has held the role of co-evangelist with Luis for the past 15 years. The two have often partnered together on citywide campaigns, including massive efforts in New York City, Grand Rapids, Alaska, Argentina, Chile, Spain, Vietnam, and beyond. Andrew has also led many of his own festivals, including historic efforts in Uganda, Jamaica, Burundi, Malawi, Haiti, Tanzania, Indonesia, Ethiopia, and Colombia. The two have shared the work of the team's extensive radio ministry, while Andrew and his wife, Wendy, have taken the lead role in Palau's digital evangelism efforts known as Hope with God.
Andrew's latest effort, March 6-7, was known as Space Coast CityFest. It brought together thousands of Christians from throughout Brevard County, Florida, and included several evangelistic outreaches in the region.
The campaign was originally scheduled for March 2020. But with Covid-19 hitting Florida just days before the festival, the local committee decided to push it to 2021. In the meantime, more churches joined the effort, more local believers were able to engage, and even more anticipation and excitement was built for the festival. Many of the leaders involved commented on the unique unity and partnership the festival brought to the local faith community. Like all Palau festivals, much care and attention was given to church unity, community service, training in personal evangelism, and clear public proclamation of the Gospel.
"I was born in Brevard County, and have lived here most of my life," shared Mike Ronsisvalle, CEO of Live Well Coaching and co-chair for CityFest. "We have some amazing churches and church leaders, but I have never seen such a widespread coming together as we saw here as more than 200 churches of all denominations and all parts of our county came together. It speaks well for our future as the body of Christ in Brevard County."
In addition to the free, two-day festival at Space Coast Daily Park on Saturday and Sunday (March 6-7, 2021), there was a concerted effort to expand the reach of Space Coast CityFest through multiple affinity events and smaller outreaches. These events included prison outreaches (with the partnership of Prison Fellowship), an evangelistic luncheon for business leaders, a breakfast for first responders, and two gatherings for women led by Andrew's wife, Wendy.
All this was in the lead up to the 2-day festival at Space Coast Daily Park in Brevard County, Florida on March 6 and 7 featuring award-winning artists Casting Crowns, Zach Williams, Mandisa, Mac Powell, Andy Mineo, and Social Club Misfits. Andrew Palau shared a clear Gospel message each night and challenged those in the crowd--and the thousands who tuned in online--to give their life to Jesus Christ.
The 2-day festival also hosted a family fun stage, stunt demos from professional skaters and BMX athletes (in partnership with The Stunt Dudes), and multiple presentations of the Gospel.
In total, including all events, CityFest organizers estimate more than 14,000 people were reached in person through the week-long campaign, with tens of thousands more tuning in to the multiple live broadcasts.
"Space Coast CityFest was a monumental event for our community," said Brad Russell, lead pastor of The Grove Church in Titusville. "It brought unity to our churches and is helping change the spiritual atmosphere of our county."
The event marked 14 years since the Palau Association last came to Florida. The last campaign in 2007 in Orlando was led by Andrew's father, the late evangelist Luis Palau, and established many long-term relationships within the community.
Bishop Merton Clark, senior pastor of Truth Revealed Ministries International in Palmbay commented, "I've witnessed the gathering of church leaders, members, and marketplace leaders, coming together for the sole purpose of advancing the kingdom of God. These relationships have become vital, relevant, strong, and dynamic. Thank you CityFest!"
With Space Coast CityFest acting as a catalyst, the movement has also been providing opportunities for the churches of Brevard County to set aside differences and unite in service. In an effort that has come to be known as CityServe Brevard, the churches are focusing on several areas of need including foster care and adoption, school partnerships, ending homelessness and hunger, helping at-risk families and neighborhood revitalization, and bringing awareness to the opioid crisis and mental health.
For more information about CityServe Brevard, visit www.cityservebrevard.org.
While local leaders continue in this effort, the Palau Association will move on to support similar campaigns in cities across the globe. Upcoming festivals are in the works with leaders in Oregon, Malawi, Argentina, Egypt, Italy, Pakistan, New Hampshire, the United Kingdom, and Ghana, to name a few.
You can learn more about the Luis Palau Association and their worldwide work at www.palau.org.
About Andrew Palau:
For more than 25 years Andrew Palau has played a key role in the ministry of the Luis Palau Association (LPA), which was started by his father, evangelist Luis Palau. Andrew has been instrumental in building the LPA model for citywide outreach as an evangelist, director, and key team leader. He has guided campaigns, led church relations efforts, trained thousands of believers in friendship evangelism, and proclaimed the Good News of Jesus Christ in person to hundreds of thousands of individuals around the world through evangelistic campaigns. Andrew's festivals have brought him and the Palau Association into partnership with thousands of churches in cities throughout Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia, the Caribbean, and the United States of America. Andrew's weekly radio broadcasts are heard by millions of people on thousands of radio outlets around the world. He is also the author of Secret Life of a Fool, a retelling of his personal journey to faith in Christ, and What is Christmas?, a groundbreaking evangelistic book published in China in 2012.
SOURCE Luis Palau Association
CONTACT: Jay Fordice, 503-341-2297, jay.fordice@palau.org
