Francisco Olazábal (1886–1937) was a Pentecostal evangelist, who conducted an evangelistic healing ministry and founded the Interdenominational Mexican Council of Christian Churches in 1923,[1] later renamed as Latin American Council of Christian Churches[2] or Concilio Latino Americano de Iglesias Cristianas (CLADIC).
[1] At this time Olazábal, through George Montgomery's ministry, rededicated his life to Jesus, and returned to Mexico and to the Methodist Church.
[1] In 1911 Francisco Olazábal immigrated to the United States and moved to El Paso, Texas, where he pastored a Spanish-speaking Methodist Church.
[2] However, Olazábal left the Methodist Church to preach the "full Gospel"[1] after having converted to Pentecostalism under the ministry of George and Carrie Montgomery in 1916.
[2] Aimee Semple McPherson, a famous Pentecostal evangelist and founder of the Foursquare Gospel denomination, referred to Olazábal as the "Mexican Billy Sunday".
[1] In March 1927 Olazábal and his congregation were invited to attend services at Aimee Semple McPherson's church, Angelus Temple in Los Angeles.
[1] Alice E. Luce-founder of the Latin American Bible Institute and H. C. Ball helped pioneer the Latino Pentecostal movement and influenced Olazábal's ministry.
Homer Tomlinson was Olazábal's good friend and pastor of the Jamaica Tabernacle Church of God.
[3] After a semester at Moody Bible Institute, Olazábal followed Reuben A. Torrey to Los Angeles to pastor to the Mexican congregants at Church of the Open Door.
[3] In 1923 Francisco Olazábal formed the Latin American Council of Christian Churches, the first independent Latino Pentecostal denomination in the United States.
[1] On September 10, 1936, Olazábal announced his intention to unite with The Church of God, at that time the group under the leadership of A.J.