Call of a Lifetime
Paul Finkenbinder, known as Hermano Pablo, was born in 1921 in Puerto Rico of missionary
parents. He grew up speaking both Spanish and English, and the strong missionary
atmosphere of his early home fashioned the course of his life and became the foundation
for one of the most extensive Christian media outreaches in all of Latin America.
From his first trips by pack mule to remote villages in El Salvador, to crusades
of tens of thousands, the passion of presenting the Gospel of Christ has been Hermano
Pablo's hallmark.
God has opened many avenues of mass evangelism: radio, television, newspapers, magazines,
and crusades, to reach a continent in crisis. Daily, the challenge multiplies with
the increasing influence of terrorism, rapidly growing population, and a very unstable
future.
Looking Back
Paul Finkenbinder felt called by God to be a minister of the Gospel in 1938. He
was only seventeen years old. When he was twenty, God gave him a wife, Linda, who
was his faithful companion ever since. Their ministry began in 1942 in a Spanish
mission in New Mexico, and on Thanksgiving eve, 1943, Paul, Linda, and their son,
Paul Jr., began serving as missionaries in El Salvador.
For the first thirteen years in El Salvador Hermano Pablo taught in Bible Schools,
ministered in churches, directed youth outreaches and made himself available in
many different areas of need all over the country.
Then in 1955 God gave Hermano Pablo the vision for mass evangelism through radio.
He utilized every possible tool--radio, television, the printed
page, crusades, and special events--to present the Gospel of Christ to the entire
Latin American continent.
In 1960 Hermano Pablo pioneered the use of "Christian drama" to present parables
and Bible stories on television. The response was overwhelming. This led to the
production of six Bible drama films that are still in use today throughout Latin
America.
In 1964 Hermano Pablo and his family returned to the United States and established
their headquarters in Costa Mesa, California. After four years in a makeshift recording
studio in their garage, God provided a building for their studios and offices. Today
the Spanish language radio and television programs and the newspaper and magazine
columns are shipped to more than 30 countries of the world.
Hermano Pablo was honored by the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) with
the prestigious award for the "Hispanic Program of the Year." Other awards include:
"Best Film of the Year" in 1971 given by the National Evangelical Film Foundation
(NEFF), and the "Best Spanish Broadcast" 1980 Angel Award given by Religion in Media
(RIM). Hermano Pablo is listed in the first edition of Who's Who in Religion. He
was also the recipient of numerous certificates and honors. In 1993 he received an
Honorary Doctorate of Divinity Degree from Vanguard University.
