Igreja Assembléia de Deus

“A church founded by Swedes in Brazil?” It sounds improbable, yet here stands Igreja Assembléia de Deus, a testament to this fascinating cross-continental connection. Igreja Assembléia de Deus traces its origins back to 1911, when two Swedish Pentecostal missionaries, Daniel Berg and Gunnar Vingren, arrived in Belém, Pará, carrying the Pentecostal flame to Brazilian shores. Originally named “Missão de Fé Apostólica,” the church later adopted the name Assembleia de Deus in 1918. Igreja Assembléia de Deus wasn’t the first Pentecostal movement in Brazil. That distinction goes to the Christian Congregation of Brazil, founded in São Paulo just a year earlier by Italian-American missionary Louis Francescon. While the CCB flourished in the south, Igreja Assembléia de Deus took root in the Amazon and the northeast. Later, migrants from these regions brought the church to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in the late 1920s. The early growth of Igreja Assembléia de Deus was nurtured by the Scandinavian Pentecostal movement, led by Lewi Pethrus, who provided financial support and missionaries. However, by 1932, the Brazilian Assembleia de Deus gained its autonomy. Subsequently, the American Assemblies of God increased its influence, particularly in doctrine and teaching, but the Brazilian church maintained its independence. This unique blend of Scandinavian origins, American influence, and Brazilian fervor shaped the identity of Igreja Assembléia de Deus. Over the years, Igreja Assembléia de Deus has experienced numerous schisms and divisions, resulting in various independent conventions and ministries, all bearing the name “Assembleia de Deus.” This complex history reflects the dynamic and evolving nature of the Pentecostal movement in Brazil.