Andrew Palau came to Bucharest at a time when evangelical churches are widely considered to be "cults," the US-based Luis Palau Association said. The apparent tensions are seen as a left-over of decades of Communism when active Christians were persecuted.
"When my dad came here in 1990, the people were just emerging from the tyranny of the Communist regime and hungry for the Good News of God’s love," said Andrew Palau. "This week, we were blessed to meet face-to-face the results of that harvest – people who came to faith through Luis and have since made incredible contributions to the Kingdom," he added.
Despite opposition towards evangelism, "dozens of congregations and ministries united to take God’s Good News to this city of three million," where only 0.5 percent are evangelical Christians, the Luis Palau Association explained in a statement seen by BosNewsLife News Center in Budapest.
THOUSANDS LISTEN
Some 14,500 people heard the "Good News" of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe is God’s Son who died and rose from the death for people’s sins, so everyone believing in Him can have eternal life.
At week’s end, "more than 1,750 documented decisions for Christ were collected" according to the Luis Palau Association. The ten-day campaign, it said, was "one of the most ambitious outreaches ever staged in Eastern Europe," although attendance sometimes fell short of expectation apparently because of rain.
Organizers said the "BucurestiFest cu Andrew Palau" campaign ranged from small gatherings in schools, churches, prisons and senior centers to a "massive" outdoor concert in the shadow of the People’s Palace, the world’s second largest building, constructed on orders of late dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.
The evangelistic meetings in Bucharest also included "extreme sports demonstrations, activities for children and families, and concerts that showcased musical styles ranging from classical to hip-hop to rock," organizers said.
LONDON RESOURCES
The Luis Palau Association said it used resources of its London-based European offices to support local churches in staging the festival in Romania, which joined the European Union last year.
Luis Palau, a native of Argentina, began preaching at age 18 on the streets of Buenos Aires, before moving to the United States from where he developed a worldwide evangelism ministry.
His son stepped in his footsteps with festivals embracing contemporary life and culture with what the organization describes as "family-friendly entertainment and the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
Over a billion people worldwide have allegedly heard Luis Palau preach through festivals, radio, television, and the Internet. (BosNewsLife’s MISSION WATCH is a regular look at missionary workers and key mission developments in difficult areas of the world, including the two-thirds world and former and current Communist countries.)
