One of the most ambitious and innovative outreaches ever staged in the Caribbean wrapped Sunday night, May 4, on the grounds of King’s House in Kingston, Jamaica, as “Best Dressed 50Fest” closed with raucous Jamaican music and a Gospel message from world evangelist Luis Palau.
Underwritten by the Jamaican Broilers Group as the centerpiece for their 50th anniversary celebration, 50Fest partnered with the Luis Palau Association and numerous Christian ministries to bring free, family-friendly festivals to three Jamaican cities: Mandeville, Montego Bay and Kingston. The festivals featured both Jamaican and international gospel musicians including TobyMac, Israel and New Breed, Papa San, Carlene Davis and DJ Nicholas as well as children’s activities and extreme sports performed by the Livin It® action sports team.
Evangelism was at the heart of the celebrations, with Luis Palau speaking in Kingston, his son Andrew in Mandeville, and San-Diego based evangelist Miles McPherson in Montego Bay. Well over 10,000 decisions to follow Christ were collected during ten days of activities that also included gatherings for women and for business and civic leaders. Estimates for crowd attendance are 37,000 in Mandeville, 75,000 in Montego Bay and 150,000 in Kingston.
Ministries from the United States - including Palau’s Next Generation Alliance® and Livin It® teams, McPherson’s Miles Ahead, Delta Ministries, and children’s entertainer Mark Thompson - brought hundreds of volunteers and thousands of dollars in medical and building supplies for community services in some of the island’s most desperate neighborhoods. Presentations were made at 75 schools and a number of senior centers and children’s homes; more than a dozen free medical and dental clinics were offered; repairs and renovations to schools, parks and community centers were implemented across Jamaica.
Jamaican Broilers president and CEO Robert Levy hosted Luis Palau at events leading up to the Kingston festival, including meetings with the ambassadors from Argentina and Spain; the Prime Minister and Governor General; members of Parliament; and the Mayor of Kingston. Palau also met with leaders from an umbrella group of diverse Jamaican churches that provided supported during the preparations for 50Fest.
“Jamaica is blessed that a company like Jamaican Broilers is willing to finance a Christian outreach like 50Fest,” said Palau. “Robert Levy and Broilers have demonstrated that a company run on Christian principles and strengthened by faith can be successful. What a great way to say ‘Thank You Jamaica.’”
In spite of a forecast of rain and thunderstorms all weekend long, it was all but sun on Saturday as Luis preached the Good News to an estimated 65,000 people in Jamaica’s capital city of Kingston during the Best Dressed 50 Fest outreach campaign. Riding on the heels of a hugely successful festival by his son Andrew in the city of Mandeville last weekend (April 27), and overlapping partner evangelist Miles McPherson’s festival in Montego Bay (May 2-3), this festival in Kingston will wrap the 3-city Jamaican tour, successfully bringing hundreds of churches together to proclaim the name of Jesus Christ to tens of thousands across the island.
Join us as we praise the Lord for the great response, the amazing crowds, and the buzz throughout Kingston, Mandeville, and Montego Bay. And above all, pray that this last night will help to reach thousands more with the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Be sure to check out photos from Saturday night in Kingston, and check back soon to get a full report of the festival results.
In the largest public gathering ever seen in Mandeville, Jamaica, the Best Dressed 50Fest with Andrew Palau wrapped Sunday night, April 27, as tens of thousands packed the playfield of Manchester High School for two days of entertainment and messages of hope. Media reports put the estimated attendance at 35,000+.
The event launched a three-city celebration running April 26 through May 4 that marks the fiftieth anniversary of Jamaica Broilers Group. In partnership with the global ministry of the Luis Palau Association and churches across Jamaica, JBG has underwritten the costs for free, family-friendly festivals in Mandeville, Montego Bay and Kingston. The festivals will feature both local and international gospel musicians, including Papa San, Carlene Davis, Prodigal Son, TobyMac, and Israel Houghton & New Breed, as well as messages of God’s love from evangelists Luis Palau, Andrew Palau and Miles McPherson.
Perched in Jamaica’s central mountains west of Kingston, Mandeville was the perfect setting for this “festival for everyone”: world-class Christian music, extreme sports demos from the Livin It® action sports team; a massive children’s fun area and stage; and a powerful Gospel message from world evangelist and Christian communicator Andrew Palau. Some of the Caribbean’s biggest musical stars entertained the crowds, including MAJA Artist of the Year D.J. Nicholas, gospel music veterans Hensley King and the Grace Thrillers, dancehall standout Prodigal Son, and “Songbird of the Caribbean” Carlene Davis.
“This weekend we saw the fruit of years of relationship-building between our friends at Broilers and Jamaica’s church family,” said Palau. “It’s a thrill for us to be partnering with the churches and with a company that has been so blessed by God for their service and their faithfulness.”
As with all Palau festivals, evangelism was at the heart of 50Fest. A Gospel message was presented multiple times from the skateboard deck, the motocross ramps and the children’s stage. On the main stage, Andrew Palau presented a clear Gospel message as he has at similar events in India, Egypt, central Europe and throughout the United States. More than 2,800 documented decisions to follow Christ were collected.
The next few weeks will be particularly busy for Palau. From Mandeville he flies to Ethiopia where he’ll join his wife, Wendy, for the last step in the process of adopting a baby girl. After a brief time at home he travels to speak at festivals in Bucharest, Romania, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Dallas, Texas.
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