Last Updated on September 29, 2026 by Bakare Sherifdeen
Introduction
Luis Palau was an Argentine-American evangelist, author and Christian broadcaster whose ministry carried the message of Jesus Christ to audiences across more than 80 countries. For more than six decades, he worked in international evangelism, combining large outdoor festivals with radio, television, books, leadership training and partnerships with local churches. His ministry estimated that his message reached more than one billion people through live events and various media platforms.
Born in Argentina in 1934, Palau became a Christian at the age of 12, only two years after the death of his father. As a teenager, he began preaching on street corners and was already hosting a Christian radio program by the age of 19. His early commitment to evangelism eventually brought him to the United States, where he studied at Multnomah School of the Bible in Portland, Oregon.
His ministry developed significantly through his relationship with Billy Graham. Palau initially served as an intern with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and sometimes worked as Graham’s Spanish translator. Graham and his organization later helped Palau establish his own independent evangelistic organization in 1978.
Palau subsequently became one of the most prominent Latin American evangelists working on the international stage. His festivals brought together churches from different denominations, while his media ministry allowed him to communicate with Spanish- and English-speaking audiences around the world.
He died in Portland, Oregon, on March 11, 2021, at the age of 86, following a three-year battle with stage IV lung cancer. His ministry continued under the leadership of his sons, particularly Kevin and Andrew Palau.
Key Takeaways
- Luis Palau was an Argentine-American evangelist, author and Christian broadcaster.
- He was born on November 27, 1934, in Ingeniero Maschwitz, Argentina.
- He became a Christian at age 12 after the death of his father.
- He began preaching on street corners as a teenager and hosted a Christian radio program by age 19.
- He moved to the United States in 1960 after being invited by pastor and missionary leader Ray Stedman.
- He studied at Multnomah School of the Bible in Portland, Oregon.
- He married Patricia “Pat” Scofield, whom he met while studying in Portland.
- The couple had four sons: Kevin, Keith, Andrew and Stephen.
- He worked with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and sometimes served as Billy Graham’s Spanish translator.
- He established his own evangelistic organization in 1978.
- His ministry took him to more than 80 nations and hundreds of major evangelistic events.
- He authored more than 50 books and booklets during his lifetime.
- His son Andrew followed him into international evangelism.
- Luis Palau died on March 11, 2021, aged 86.
- His personal net worth was never publicly established with sufficient evidence for a reliable estimate.
At a Glance
Luis Palau’s ministry occupies an important place in the history of modern international evangelism because he helped connect the large-scale evangelistic model associated with Billy Graham with Latin American and Spanish-speaking audiences.
His ministry was not built around a single church. Instead, Palau worked through partnerships with local churches, evangelistic festivals, media programs, Christian leaders and community organizations. His campaigns frequently involved churches from across denominational lines working together before, during and after an event.
This collaborative approach became particularly visible in his later ministry. For example, his 2015 New York City campaign involved more than 1,700 local churches and hundreds of evangelistic activities across the city.
Palau also developed a family legacy in evangelism. His sons eventually took over much of the ministry’s daily operations, with Kevin serving as president and CEO and Andrew becoming an evangelist who leads campaigns internationally.
Quick Facts
| Quick Facts | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Luis Palau |
| Born | November 27, 1934 |
| Birthplace | Ingeniero Maschwitz, Argentina |
| Died | March 11, 2021 |
| Age at Death | 86 years |
| Nationality | Argentine-American |
| Profession | Evangelist, Author, Christian Broadcaster |
| Wife | Patricia “Pat” Scofield Palau |
| Children | Kevin, Keith, Andrew and Stephen |
| Education | Multnomah School of the Bible |
| Ministry Founded | Luis Palau Association, 1978 |
| Ministry Focus | Evangelism, Christian outreach, church partnerships and media |
| Countries Reached | More than 80 |
| Best Known For | International evangelistic festivals |
| Major Mentor | Billy Graham |
| Notable Book | Palau: A Life on Fire |
Early Life in Argentina
Luis Palau was born on November 27, 1934, in Ingeniero Maschwitz, a small town outside Buenos Aires, Argentina.
His childhood was shaped by both family tragedy and Christian faith. His father died when Luis was only 10 years old, leaving his mother to raise the family. Two years later, at age 12, Palau became a follower of Jesus Christ.
His early conversion had a lasting effect on the direction of his life.
Rather than keeping his faith private, Palau became involved in evangelism while still young. He began preaching on street corners as a teenager, an experience that gave him an early introduction to communicating with people outside traditional church settings.
By the age of 19, he was hosting his own Christian radio program.
This combination of personal evangelism and media outreach would eventually become a defining characteristic of his ministry.
His Calling to Evangelism
Palau’s early ministry developed during a period when evangelical Christianity was growing rapidly throughout Latin America.
His passion for evangelism was strongly connected to the belief that the message of Jesus should be communicated to ordinary people in accessible ways.
His street preaching and radio work gave him opportunities to speak to people who might not otherwise attend church.
The scale of his later ministry was therefore rooted in practices he had already developed as a teenager: public preaching, personal conversations and the use of available media to reach a wider audience.
Moving to the United States
In 1960, Palau moved to the United States after being invited by Ray Stedman, a pastor and missionary leader from Palo Alto, California, who had met him during a visit to Argentina. Stedman became an important mentor in Palau’s early American ministry years.
Palau enrolled at Multnomah School of the Bible, now known as Multnomah University, in Portland, Oregon.
His years in Portland were significant for another reason. It was there that he met Patricia Scofield, who would become his wife and lifelong ministry partner.
The move also introduced Palau to the wider American evangelical network that would eventually provide opportunities for his international ministry.
Luis Palau and Billy Graham
One of the most important relationships in Luis Palau’s ministry was his connection with Billy Graham.
Palau served as an intern with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and occasionally worked as Graham’s Spanish translator. This experience exposed him to the planning and organization required for large-scale evangelistic campaigns.
The relationship between the two evangelists went beyond translation work.
Graham and his team helped create opportunities for Palau as he began developing his own ministry. In 1978, the Billy Graham organization helped Palau establish his independent evangelistic organization.
This relationship became an important bridge between the Latin American evangelistic movement and the large-scale campaign model that Graham had developed internationally.
Palau later became an evangelist in his own right, rather than simply remaining within Graham’s organization.
Founding the Luis Palau Association
In 1978, Palau established the organization that would become known as the Luis Palau Association.
The ministry was based in the Portland, Oregon, area and focused on international evangelism, Christian media and cooperation among churches.
Rather than establishing a conventional denomination, Palau’s organization worked with churches and Christian leaders in different communities to organize evangelistic festivals and follow-up activities.
This model allowed the ministry to operate across denominational and national boundaries.
The Luis Palau Association remains an active nonprofit organization following Palau’s death. Its current work continues to include evangelism, community development, media and ministry training.
Luis Palau’s Wife, Patricia
Luis Palau married Patricia “Pat” Scofield Palau, whom he met while studying at Multnomah School of the Bible.
Their marriage became an important partnership throughout more than six decades of ministry.
Pat traveled with Luis during various stages of his evangelistic career and remained involved with the ministry’s work. Following Luis’s death in 2021, the official ministry biography noted that Pat continued to be involved with the team.
Their relationship also produced a family that would eventually become deeply involved in the continuation of Luis’s ministry.
Luis Palau’s Children
Luis and Pat Palau had four sons: Kevin, Keith, Andrew and Stephen.
The four sons followed different paths while remaining connected to their father’s legacy.
Kevin Palau became president and CEO of the Luis Palau Association and took responsibility for the ministry’s day-to-day leadership.
Keith Palau became involved with the organization’s development work.
Andrew Palau followed most directly in his father’s footsteps as an evangelist. He has led evangelistic campaigns in different countries and continues the festival-based ministry model developed by his father.
Stephen Palau pursued a career in education and worked as an elementary school teacher in the Portland area.
The family’s continued involvement gave Luis Palau’s ministry an unusually strong generational dimension.
Luis Palau’s International Evangelistic Festivals
The large evangelistic festival became the signature format of Palau’s ministry.
Rather than simply holding a single church service, Palau’s team would work with churches and community leaders for months before a major event.
Local churches could organize prayer initiatives, community outreach, volunteer teams and follow-up programs.
Palau would then preach at large public gatherings, often outdoors, where people from different backgrounds could hear the Christian message.
His official biography states that he personally preached at more than 500 major events in 80 countries during his lifetime.
The festivals also demonstrated his ability to communicate across cultures.
Palau was particularly significant as a bilingual evangelist who could minister naturally in both English and Spanish.
Major Campaigns Around the World
Palau’s ministry eventually took him across Latin America, North America, Europe, Asia and other regions.
One of his early major campaigns took place in Bogotá, Colombia, in 1966, when he preached in the Plaza de Bolívar.
Over the decades, his ministry expanded into hundreds of major events across numerous countries. The official Palau biography says his campaigns allowed him to speak directly to millions of people and that his broader media ministry brought his message to audiences numbering in the hundreds of millions.
The ministry also reported more than one million registered decisions for Jesus Christ during Palau’s evangelistic career. These are ministry-reported figures rather than independently audited measurements.
Luis Palau in the United States
Although Palau was born in Argentina, the United States became an important base for his ministry.
Portland, Oregon, remained his home for much of his adult life, and the Luis Palau Association operated from the area.
He also held major festivals in American cities.
One notable example was the 2003 Fort Lauderdale Festival in Florida, which the Palau organization says drew more than 340,000 people.
His 2015 New York City campaign was another major undertaking.
Rather than limiting the event to one stadium or park, the ministry organized a three-month citywide outreach involving hundreds of evangelistic activities and partnerships with more than 1,700 churches. Palau preached in Times Square as part of the campaign.
This approach reflected the broader philosophy of his ministry: evangelism should involve the local church rather than operate independently of it.
Luis Palau’s Media Ministry
Palau understood the importance of media from his earliest years.
He hosted a Christian radio program in Argentina as a teenager, and decades later his ministry had expanded into international radio, television and digital evangelism.
His organization operated three daily international radio programs in English and Spanish, reaching audiences in more than 48 countries according to ministry information.
For many years, Palau also hosted live call-in television programs known as Night Talk in cities where his festivals were being held.
The programs allowed viewers to ask spiritual questions and receive answers directly from Palau.
This combination of live events and media helped his ministry remain active between major festivals.
Luis Palau and Christian Leadership
Palau’s work extended beyond evangelistic preaching.
He was involved in efforts to equip Christian leaders and encourage cooperation among evangelists around the world.
His ministry developed the Global Network of Evangelists, designed to encourage and support evangelists internationally.
The organization also developed City Gospel Movements, an initiative focused on helping Christian leaders work together to engage their communities.
Palau also served on the boards of institutions including Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Dallas Theological Seminary and Multnomah University.
He was later recognized with honorary doctorates from institutions including Wheaton University and Talbot School of Theology.
Luis Palau’s Books
Writing was another major part of Palau’s ministry.
He published more than 50 books and booklets during his lifetime, many of which were translated into multiple languages.
Some of his notable works include:
- God Is Relevant
- Where Is God When Bad Things Happen?
- Say Yes!
- ¿Con quién me casaré? (Whom Shall I Marry?)
- Palau: A Life on Fire
- What Is a Real Christian?
- Starting Point Study Bible
His booklet What Is a Real Christian? was particularly successful. The Palau organization reports that more than 10 million copies were distributed in more than 60 countries.
His Spanish Bible commentary was also recognized as an important resource for Spanish-speaking Christian readers.
Palau: A Life on Fire
In 2019, Palau published Palau: A Life on Fire, an autobiographical account of his life and ministry.
The book traced his journey from his childhood in Argentina through his conversion, early evangelistic work, relationship with Billy Graham and decades of international ministry.
The same year, a feature-length film about his life was released in theaters across North and South America.
The book and film provided a wider audience with an account of Palau’s life shortly before the final years of his ministry.
Luis Palau and His Relationship With the Church
One of the defining features of Palau’s ministry was his emphasis on working with local churches.
His festivals were not designed simply as events organized by an outside evangelist. Local churches were encouraged to participate in preparation, prayer, outreach and follow-up.
This model helped Palau establish relationships with thousands of churches in different countries.
The approach also reflected his conviction that evangelism should lead people into ongoing Christian community rather than end with a single public response at an evangelistic event.
Luis Palau’s Final Years
In 2018, Palau announced that he had been diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer.
He continued to minister publicly while undergoing treatment and remained active in evangelism for several years.
His illness did not immediately end his public ministry. He continued preaching, speaking and participating in ministry activities while his sons increasingly assumed responsibility for the organization’s daily operations.
By this stage, the ministry had already become a multigenerational organization.
Kevin was leading the organization as president and CEO, while Andrew had developed his own international evangelistic work.
Death of Luis Palau
Luis Palau died at his home in Portland, Oregon, on March 11, 2021.
He was 86 years old.
His official obituary stated that he had spent more than 65 years working in worldwide evangelism and that he had personally preached at more than 500 major events in 80 countries.
His death was followed by tributes from Christian leaders and organizations that recognized his decades of evangelistic work.
His wife, Patricia, survived him, as did his four sons and grandchildren.
The Luis Palau Ministry After His Death
Luis Palau’s death did not end the ministry he established.
His sons had already been responsible for much of its daily operation for several years.
Kevin Palau continued as president and CEO, while Andrew continued his work as an evangelist. The organization has remained active in evangelism, community development, media and ministry training.
This transition illustrates the extent to which Palau had built an organization capable of continuing beyond his personal preaching career.
Luis Palau’s Legacy
Luis Palau’s legacy is particularly significant within international evangelism because of the bridge he created between Latin American Christianity and the wider global evangelical movement.
He began preaching as a teenager in Argentina, learned from mentors including Ray Stedman and Billy Graham, and eventually developed his own international ministry.
His evangelistic festivals brought together churches across denominational lines, while his bilingual media work allowed him to communicate with audiences in both Spanish and English.
His family has also continued his evangelistic legacy, particularly through Andrew Palau’s international campaigns.
Palau’s ministry therefore represents more than the career of one evangelist. It became a model of international evangelism built around local church partnerships, large public gatherings, media outreach and leadership development.
Luis Palau Net Worth
Luis Palau’s personal net worth is not reliably known.
There are no sufficiently reliable public records that establish the value of his personal assets at the time of his death. The finances of the Luis Palau Association should also not be confused with Palau’s personal wealth.
For context, the ministry’s 2024 nonprofit financial records reported approximately $18.1 million in revenue and $14.8 million in net assets, but those figures belong to the organization rather than to Luis Palau personally.
Because of that distinction, there is not enough evidence to provide a defensible personal net worth estimate for Palau.
Conclusion
Luis Palau’s life took him from a small town outside Buenos Aires to some of the largest evangelistic gatherings around the world.
His conversion at age 12 shaped a calling that began with teenage street preaching and radio ministry. After moving to the United States and studying in Portland, he developed relationships with Ray Stedman and Billy Graham that helped prepare him for an international evangelistic career.
By the time of his death in 2021, Palau had spent more than 65 years preaching the Christian message. His ministry had taken him to more than 80 countries, while his books, radio programs, television appearances and digital outreach extended his influence far beyond the crowds who attended his festivals.
Perhaps one of the most significant aspects of his legacy is that his ministry did not end with his death. His sons, particularly Kevin and Andrew, had already become deeply involved in the organization and continue different aspects of the work.
For the history of modern evangelism, Luis Palau represents an important connection between Latin American Christianity, Billy Graham’s evangelistic model and the international church-partnership approach that characterized his own ministry.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
1. Who was Luis Palau?
Luis Palau was an Argentine-American evangelist, author and Christian broadcaster who spent more than 65 years in international evangelistic ministry. He preached in more than 80 countries and became known for large evangelistic festivals and Christian media outreach.
2. When was Luis Palau born?
Luis Palau was born on November 27, 1934, in Ingeniero Maschwitz, a town outside Buenos Aires, Argentina.
3. How old was Luis Palau when he died?
Luis Palau died on March 11, 2021, at the age of 86 after a three-year battle with stage IV lung cancer.
4. Who was Luis Palau’s wife?
Luis Palau’s wife was Patricia “Pat” Scofield Palau. They met while studying at Multnomah School of the Bible in Portland, Oregon, and spent decades together in Christian ministry.
5. How many children did Luis Palau have?
Luis and Patricia Palau had four sons: Kevin, Keith, Andrew and Stephen. Kevin became president and CEO of the Luis Palau Association, while Andrew followed his father into international evangelism.
6. What was Luis Palau known for?
Luis Palau was best known for large-scale evangelistic festivals, international preaching, Christian radio and television programs, books and partnerships with local churches. His ministry took him to more than 80 countries.
7. Was Luis Palau connected to Billy Graham?
Yes. Palau served as an intern with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and sometimes worked as Billy Graham’s Spanish translator. Graham and his organization later helped Palau establish his own evangelistic organization in 1978.
8. What books did Luis Palau write?
Luis Palau wrote more than 50 books and booklets. Some of his best-known works include God Is Relevant, Where Is God When Bad Things Happen?, Say Yes!, What Is a Real Christian? and Palau: A Life on Fire.
9. What was Luis Palau’s net worth?
Luis Palau’s personal net worth is not reliably known. Public financial information exists for the Luis Palau Association, but the organization’s assets and revenue cannot be treated as Palau’s personal wealth.
10. Who leads the Luis Palau ministry today?
Following Luis Palau’s death, his sons continued the ministry. Kevin Palau serves as president and CEO, while Andrew Palau continues as an evangelist leading campaigns internationally.
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References
- Luis Palau Association, Remembering Luis Palau.
- Luis Palau Association, official legacy and ministry archive.
- Luis Palau Association, official obituary.
- Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, Luis Palau Association profile.
- IRS Form 990 financial records for Luis Palau Association.
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