Leap back in time to 1994. That was the year Igreja Evangélica Assembleia de Deus em Canrobert da Costa was founded. This church has been a beacon of faith in Rio de Janeiro ever since. It is dedicated to religious activities.
Igreja Evangélica Assembleia de Deus em Canrobert da Costa is part of a larger movement. The Assembleias de Deus began in Brazil in 1911. Daniel Berg and Gunnar Vingren were the founders. They were missionaries from the Swedish Pentecostal movement. They arrived in Belém Pará. There they established the Missão de Fé Apostólica. Later it was renamed Assembleia de Deus in 1918.
The Pentecostal movement was already growing in Brazil. Louis Francescon an Italian-American missionary had started the Christian Congregation of Brazil in São Paulo in 1910. While the Christian Congregation of Brazil spread south Assembleias de Deus expanded into Amazon villages and the northeast. Migrants eventually brought the church to Rio de Janeiro.
Initially Assembleia de Deus had close ties to the Scandinavian Pentecostal movement. Lewi Pethrus led this movement. He provided financial support and missionaries to assist Berg and Vingren. In 1932 the Swedish Pentecostals granted autonomy to the Brazilian Assembleia de Deus. From then on the American Assemblies of God increased their influence in Brazil. The church however maintained its independence.
The General Convention of the Assemblies of God in Brazil reported 12 million members in 2013. Since 1911 Assembleias de Deus has experienced divisions. This led to numerous independent conventions and ministérios using the same name.
Two significant denominations emerged. The Convenção Geral das Assembleias de Deus no Brasil CGADB is the original convention. It sees itself as the heir to the Swedish mission. The National Convention of the Assemblies of God Madureira Ministry CONAMAD was founded in 1958 by pastor Paulo Leivas Macalão.
Assembleias de Deus has consistently sent missionaries abroad. It started in 1913 with a returning Portuguese immigrant sent to Portugal. Today Brazilian missionaries serve in Latin America and Portuguese-speaking Africa. Assembleias de Deus also exist among Brazilian immigrant communities. These are in North America Japan and Western Europe.
The organizational structure is unique. Assembleias de Deus operates with a non-territorial episcopal polity called ministério. A mother church under a pastor-president directs each ministério. Affiliated congregations and preaching points fall under its guidance. The mother church manages finances and assigns pastors. This leadership strongly influences decision-making.
Ministério structures often overlap territorial boundaries. This limits collaboration among them. Each ministério functions independently. This results in independent denominations.
Igreja Evangélica Assembleia de Deus em Canrobert da Costa like other Assembleias de Deus adheres to core doctrines. These include belief in the Bible the death of Christ and adult baptism. They also practice Holy Communion using grape juice and believe in tithing. The gifts of the Holy Spirit and the premillennial return of Jesus are central.
Remember Igreja Evangélica Assembleia de Deus em Canrobert da Costa stands as a testament to faith. It exemplifies the enduring legacy of the Assembleias de Deus in Brazil. It has been active since 1994.