Seth Udinski, FISM News
A passionate and faithful teacher of the gospel went home to be with the Lord this past week. Luis Palau, an Argentinian evangelical Bible teacher and associate of Pastor Billy Graham, died Thursday from lung cancer. He was 86 years old.
Palau was instrumental in spreading the gospel to the Latin American community in the 20th and 21st centuries. Born outside Buenos Aires in 1934, Palau trusted in Christ as a boy at a Christian summer camp in 1947. He learned English at a young age, and as a young man he came into contact with American evangelist Billy Graham.
He began his ministerial career working as a translator for Billy Graham’s ministry, and the two men became lifelong friends. Palau had a unique skill of connecting with political leaders and other influential individuals, and he utilized this trait to reach thousands with the gospel. His ministry had an interdenominational reach, with a distinct following among Evangelicals, Roman Catholics, and Pentecostals. Even in his popularity among denominations with sharp differences, he remained faithful to the core tenants of orthodox, Biblical Christianity throughout his ministry.
Palau is survived by his wife Patricia and their four sons.