Evangelist Luis Palau Preaches to Crowd in Marseille, France
Argentinian-born evangelist Luis Palau preached in the southeast coastal city of Marseille, France on Saturday, concluding his three-day Christian outreach festival.
The Luis Palau festival in Marseille was unique in that on Saturday the message was picked up by a satellite channel with millions of viewers. Palau spoke in Spanish while his interpreter translated his message into French.
Every night the festival, which began June 30, was taped for delayed transmission to Francophone Africa, the Middle East on CAN, and France on Dieu TV. Standing on the beaches of Plage du Prado, Palau preached about the Good News found in Jesus Christ.
The Luis Palau festival is the first event of its kind to be sponsored by the city of Marseille. Like other Palau fest, there were children’s activities, concert-like music, soccer, and preaching.
“We’re so used to having evangelical events and opportunities in [the United States], that we just take it for granted. We’re on the radio, we’re on the TV, in print, and all the things that we normally do which you really can’t do in France,” said Colin James of the Luis Palau Evangelistic Association to MNN.
“The opportunities are very limited and constrained because of the culture and just the way the country has been run. It’s not an evangelical-based country.”
According to the CIA World Factbook, less than 2 percent of France’s population is Protestant Christian.
“Please pray that God will continue to pour our His Spirit in Marseille. Pray that the believers, especially the new ones as a result of this festival, will experience a radical transformation in their lives and live totally for Christ,” read the latest posting for the Marseille festival on the Luis Palau Evangelistic Association website.
