HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, April 11, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- World evangelist and author Luis Palau joined with national church leaders to mark the 100-year celebration for the evangelical church in Vietnam. Palau and his son, fellow evangelist Andrew Palau, shared the Good News of Jesus Christ openly with tens of thousands of individuals in Ho Chi Minh City on April 9 and 10.

"We are so excited to have Dr. Palau with us in Vietnam," said Reverend Ho Tan Khoa, one of the top national church leaders. "He is a pioneer—serving the Church and guiding us in wonderful evangelistic events."

The historic gatherings took place in Ho Chi Minh City, the nation's largest city (pop. 10 million) and led thousands of individuals in public commitments to Jesus Christ. It was the first time in Vietnam history that an international Christian leader has been invited to preach the Good News on such a wide scale.

Local leaders have been planning for these events for months, working diligently with the government to find approval and show their goodwill. The gatherings represent a growing understanding between church and civic leadership.

"I am humbled to take part in this historic effort in Vietnam," said Palau. "The Christian community here is so passionate, so patriotic, so optimistic, and so excited for the future of the nation. It is thrilling to see. We love Vietnam and we are overjoyed. We look forward to many years of service to the nation, as God allows."

The church community has now invited Palau to Hanoi, the capital city, where similar evangelistic events are planned for this coming weekend (April 15 and 16). Festival leaders are optimistic they will receive final government approval for the gatherings, just as they did in Ho Chi Minh City. Plans also include events in Danang and Hanoi in June.

Luis Palau has brought a message of hope through faith in Jesus Christ to more than 1 billion people through radio, television, the Internet, books and articles, including 28 million people face-to-face in 72 nations. Palau's daily radio broadcasts are heard by tens of millions of listeners on 3,000+ radio outlets in 48 countries. He is the author of close to 50 books including his latest, "Changed by Faith" (Tyndale, 2011), which released in March.

For further information about this historic effort in Vietnam, as well as other evangelistic efforts around the world, visit www.palau.org.

SOURCE Luis Palau Association