Luis Palau will lead a major new mission in Vietnam next year, as part of the churches’ celebrations marking 100 years of evangelical Christianity in that nation.

The outreach – the first foreign mission to the country since the fall of Saigon in 1975 – will take place in April and June 2011.

It will begin with large outdoor events in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on the weekends of April 8 to 9 and 15 to16 respectively, organised by Vietnam’s own rapidly growing churches.

The official 100th anniversary celebration will be held on June 14 to 16 at Da Nang, probably in an indoor arena since June is the rainy season in Vietnam.

Earlier this year Palau was in Vietnam, addressing more than 500 church leaders, as well as U.S. diplomats and the government officials whose permission will be required before the Festival can go ahead.

Nigel Gordon of the Luis Palau Association said: “The mission comes at an important strategic moment for Christianity in Vietnam.

"After years of hostility to the church, the Government has just started to allow Christian events to take place – some of which are proving very popular.

"For example, last December they gave permission for an outreach in a large field outside Ho Chi Minh City just 48 hours before it was set to begin.

"Despite the short notice, 50,000 people attended and around 8,000 of them received Christ as Saviour."