Doesn’t the name Igreja Evangélica Pentecostal O Brasil Para Cristo just roll off the tongue? It means The Evangelical Pentecostal Church Brazil for Christ. Founded in 1955 this church has a fascinating history. Let’s dive into the story of Igreja Evangélica Pentecostal O Brasil Para Cristo.
Manoel de Mello e Silva founded Igreja Evangélica Pentecostal O Brasil Para Cristo. He was a construction worker from Pernambuco. Manoel converted to evangelicalism in the Assembleia de Deus. Later he joined the Cruzada Nacional de Evangelização. This is now called Igreja do Evangelho Quadrangular. He became a minister through the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. This US church organized missionary work. These efforts established the Igreja Quadrangular in Brazil.
In 1955 Manoel claimed to have a vision. Jesus Christ appeared to him. Jesus ordered him to start a spiritual revival movement in Brazil. It would focus on evangelization and divine healing. Jesus himself gave the movement its name O Brasil Para Cristo. Manoel obeyed this order. He believed this was the start of the greatest evangelization and spiritual revival movement. It would encompass all of Latin America.
His radio program A Voz do Brasil Para Cristo aired for two decades. It still airs on Rádio Musical FM with his son Pastor Paulo Lutero de Mello. Manoel led meetings in public squares and soccer stadiums. Igreja Evangélica Pentecostal O Brasil Para Cristo grew mostly in poor areas. These were working-class neighborhoods in São Paulo’s East Zone. The church gained prominence among Pentecostal denominations in Brazil. However it has a smaller presence abroad. The Ministério Casa da Bênção originated in this church. For a time Igreja Evangélica Pentecostal O Brasil Para Cristo was part of the World Council of Churches.
Today the denomination has 2300 congregations. These congregations have 180000 members in Brazil. It also has a presence in Paraguay Bolivia Peru Chile Uruguay Argentina Portugal and the USA.
The headquarters of Igreja Evangélica Pentecostal O Brasil Para Cristo is the Grande Templo. It is in the Pompeia neighborhood in São Paulo. The Grande Templo began construction in the 1960s. It can hold about 9000 people.
Brazil even has a National Day of the Igreja Evangélica Pentecostal O Brasil Para Cristo. President Dilma Rousseff signed Law 13.279 on May 3 2016. This law established March 3 as the National Day of the Igreja Evangélica Pentecostal O Brasil Para Cristo.
The Igreja Evangélica Pentecostal O Brasil Para Cristo has several departments. JUBRAC is the youth department. UFEBRAC is the women’s department. UMASBRAC is the men’s department. MENIBRAC is the children’s department. ADOBRAC is the adolescent department. Missão Desafio is the mission organization. It is responsible for establishing churches abroad.
Manoel de Mello was indeed a force to be reckoned with. He started something truly special with Igreja Evangélica Pentecostal O Brasil Para Cristo.