The ministries of church planting, Seminary training, and Bible camp work are located in two major geographical areas: in southern Brazil and in central Brazil. In southern Brazil, there are ministries in the states of PARANÁ and SÃO PAULO, and in central Brazil, ministries are in the states of BAHIA, MINAS GERAIS and GOIÁS. (See: Map of Brazil.)
SOUTHERN BRAZIL
Charles and Ruth Harmon and family first entered into Araçatuba in 1953. (See: Missionaries, Opportunities.)
1) The Theological Seminary of Araçatuba began in 1972. The many graduates have become Christian workers in many fields, including pastors, missionaries, children's and women's ministries, trained workers in churches and homes. Missionary John Harmon is the director of the Seminary and one of the teachers, and his wife Ana administrates in the kitchen and is Dean of Women. (See details: Missionaries, Opportunities.)
2) The Araçatuba Bible Church is the first church founded by the Harmons in the 1950's. Missionary John Harmon was pastor of the church from 1974, for fifteen years. Today, it thrives as a well-organized, self-supporting and mission-orientated church, located near the Theological Seminary of Araçatuba. Pastor: Valmir.
3) The Harmony Bible Church is on the premises of the Harmony Bible Camp. Pastor: Missionary George Harmon. The new congregation is meeting with Pastor John Harmon and students of the Seminary. Eventually new congregations become organized churches.
Harmony Bible Camp Harmony Bible Camp 4) The Harmony Bible Camp is located on a beautiful section of land outside of Araçatuba, São Paulo. Founded in 1999, missionary George Harmon is the director of the Bible camp and all its many year-round activities. (See: Opportunities.)
5) Other Organized Churches in Araçatuba, SÃO PAULO. The Boa Vista Bible Church is located in a heavily-populated residential area, and attendance is good and growing. The Awana program with children has a goal of 200. Youth, women, and music ministries are active. Missionary John Harmon, Senior Pastor; Daniel Rodrigues, Assistant Pastor. The Hope Bible Church is a new and thriving branch work of the Boa Vista Bible Church, with effective ministry by Valdeir, under the supervision of missionary John Harmon. Nine other Bible churches are in Araçatuba, and in other areas of São Paulo.
CENTRAL BRAZIL
The Bible Church of Goiânia was founded by missionary John Harmon in 1985, where he and Ana served the Lord for the next fifteen years. The prosperous church continues today as a self-supporting, mission-minded church, reaching out to the community. The church flourishes under the ministry of Pastor Elias de Paula, one of the first graduates of the Araçatuba seminary, in 1974.
Vitória da Conquista is situated in the cooler mountain area of east-central Brazil. Coffee, cattle-raising, several small industrial factories and countless businesses make up this city of 300,000, and Conquista (as it is commonly called) is a strategic center for dozens of smaller towns in southeastern BAHIA.
1) Urbis | Bible Church, the first church planted by BIM missionaries David and Debbie Thompson, in 1984. Built by an American-Brazilian building team in January 1988, and organized in 1990, the church property now includes an all-purpose educational facility and parsonage on same large lot. Membership: about 40. Pastor:Manoel Anselmo, a graduate of the Thompson Theological Bible Seminary. Co-pastor, director of youth and visitation: Carlos Almeida.
2) Calvary Bible Church, located in the suburb of Petrópolis, the second church founded by BIM missionaries, David and Deborah Thompson, was begun in the suburb of Guarani, in 1993, and moved to the nearby Petrópolis suburb in 1998. Completed were the three-story educational building and fellowship hall in 1999, and a large sanctuary in 2001. Four trained evangelistic teams work in the church, hold meetings in two flourishing congregations (see below) and preaching points in various other locations. Enthusiastic children's summer clubs draw from the community, an Awana Club flourishes, and a vibrant youth group encourages attendance and Christian service. Members: 86. Attendance: 100+. In January 2007, Missionary David Thompson turned the church over to Brazilian leadership, and a Brazilian pastor began his ministry. Pastor: Hartman Mangueira Souza.
Calvary Bible Church 3) The Thompson Theological Bible Seminary was founded in Umuarama, PARANÁ, in 1968, by missionaries Robert and Alice Thompson, and functioned there under their leadership for 27 of their 43 years of missionary service. The Seminary was relocated to Vitória da Conquista in 2000. It currently has 50+ students, a good faculty and staff, extension schools and correspondence students. The large chapel is used for school functions and houses the congregation in the Morada III suburb. (See details: Opportunities.)
4) A new evangelistic outreach was begun in March 2007 in the suburb of Vila América by missionaries David and Debbie Thompson, and continues with the help of the Calvary Bible Church and Evangelist Adriano. It is in a strategic, growing location, and across from a school. In mid-2008, the David Thompson’s will return from their Home Assignment in the U.S.A., and will continue to lead that ministry, help it to grow, and eventually to build a new church building there.
5) The Armindo Gomes Bible Camp is located a few miles from Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, in a strategic location for a camp ministry, but cannot function as a camp to date because the buildings are incomplete. A gospel team from Calvary Bible Church continues a good weekend ministry at the camp in that community of Choças.
There is a definite need for funds to complete the multi-purpose building and to make dorms for boys and girls. There is a need for the right Bible Camp Director. (See: Opportunities.)
Regular meetings are held in this mushrooming suburb each weekend in the chapel of the Thompson Theological Bible Seminary in Vitória da Conquista. Attendance: 40-50. The Calvary Bible Church gospel team and Pastor José Pereira, Seminary director, direct the meetings.
Called The Miracle Church because of the large number of eager conversions to Christ and transformation of lives and habits, the rural church has about 44 in Sunday School and about 60 on Sunday night. This is the third church founded by missionaries David and Debbie Thompson. The church has its own church building and new addition, parsonage, and regular outreach in the nearby towns of Lagoa Grande and Estiva. Pastor: Adriano, a young, energetic pastor. He and his wife are graduates of the Thompson Theological Bible Seminary.
Lagoa do Temóteo, BAHIATaiobeiras, population 25,000, is located on a high plateau, in east-central Brazil, south of Bahia. The small rural town is the hub of the region, and is known for its many small agricultural and cattle farms, a large ceramic factory, plantations of eucalyptus for charcoal, and pine trees for lumber and pulp. The main event of the week is the colorful open-air market on Saturday, when thousands gather for much bartering and shopping.
The church is very active, the young people are energetic, and general attendance is good. The church owns its own property and adjacent parsonage which have been completely renovated in 2007. There is regular Sunday afternoon outreach in the suburb of Bom Jardin, and sometimes in the town of Mirandópolis. Pastor: Flávio, a graduate of the Thompson Theological Seminary.
HISTORY. The work in all east-central Brazil began when Armindo Gomes was burdened for his huge family of extended relatives who lived in the distant state of Minas Gerais. Armindo was then living in the state of Paraná, near Umuarama, when he decided to sell his farm and return to Minas Gerais to evangelize his family. The first evangelistic meeting in that place was held on a remote farm in Marruás, beneath the branches of a mango tree. In 1976, missionary Robert Thompson baptized the first believers and made eight more missionary trips after that. From 1978, the church was established and developed in Taiobeiras, and other fields opened to the Gospel.
Taiobeiras Church
Pastor Wandaick and Vanessa Montes Claros is a thriving industrial city of 350,000, situated in a valley surrounded by low mountains. It is well known for its five universities, a large cement factory and many other factories and prosperous businesses, making Montes Claros one of the most important cities in MINAS GERAIS.
In 1990, Rev. José Pereira da Silva founded the work in the populous suburb of Dr. João Alves. His labor of love and sacrifice has resulted in an active, organized church that now has it own church building and adjacent Sunday School rooms. The church numbers over 60 members. In 2006, a new congregation was started in the city of Januária, 160 kilometers northwest of Montes Claros. Pastor: Wandaick Silva Ferreira.
A thriving congregation was begun in Januária in 2006 under the care of the church in Montes Claros, with Pastor
Pastor Izaías and Sônia Wandaick. In January 2007, the congregation in Januária called its own pastor, Pastor Izaías Imídio José. The church is growing well, with 11 members and about 30 in regular fellowship (80 on special occasions).
MISSIONARIES ARE NEEDED VERY MUCH to extend church planting in this productive area of east-central Brazil, to teach in the Bible Seminary or to work in the Bible Camp.
Your inquiries are welcomed.
Brazil Inland Mission, Inc.
PO Box 1152
Wheaton, IL 60187-1152
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