Imagine Daniel Berg arriving in Sāo Paulo in 1927. He had a mission to spread the word. Let’s explore the story of Assembléia de Deus Paulistana.
The Assembleias de Deus began with Swedish missionaries Daniel Berg and Gunnar Vingren. They arrived in Belém. It was in Pará in 1911. They founded the Missão de Fé Apostólica. The name later changed in 1918 to Assembleia de Deus.
In Sāo Paulo, the Assembleia de Deus started humbly. Berg and his wife arrived on November 15, 1927. They wanted to share the gospel in this growing city.
Berg didn’t know anyone. He didn’t have any contacts. He trusted in divine guidance. He rented a small house in Vila Carrão. This was a humble area then. The first service happened on their arrival day. This date became the church’s official founding. Swedish missionaries Simon and Linnéa Lundgren joined them.
Services continued. The door stayed open. They sang and prayed. Berg played his mandolin. They prayed without public announcements. Slowly, neighbors noticed the services. The Lundgrens visited regularly.
On March 4, 1928, the first three converts were baptized. More people came. The small room became too crowded. A bigger space was needed. They rented a hall on Avenida Celso Garcia 1.209. This became the first official location.
The Assembleia de Deus moved several times. It went to Celso Garcia 946-A. Then it moved to Rua Dr. Cândido do Vale 41. Later, it was at Rua Vilela 59. It also resided at Rua Chavantes 3-A. It finally settled at Rua Conselheiro Cotegipe 273. This was in Belém. The church became known as Ministério do Belém.
Daniel Berg led from 1927 to 1930. Samuel Nyström followed from 1930 to 1932. Samuel Hedlund took over from 1932 to 1935. Simon Lundgren was pastor from 1935 to 1938. Sylvio Brito served in 1938. Francisco Gonzaga da Silva led from 1938 to 1939. Bruno Skolimovski was pastor from 1939 to 1946. Cicero Canuto de Lima served from 1946 to 1980. José Wellington Bezerra da Costa became pastor in 1980.
By the time José Wellington took over the church had grown. It was in every neighborhood. There were about 500 congregations. They had 70,000 members. These were in administrative areas called sectors. Each sector had a pastor.
The Assembleias de Deus has experienced splits. This has led to independent organizations using the same name. Each ministério operates independently.
Today the Assembleias de Deus is a major Pentecostal church in Brazil. It has millions of members. It continues to grow and evolve. It plays a significant role in Brazilian society. The Assembleia de Deus Paulistana is part of this rich history. It shows the enduring power of faith and community.