Consider this. What started as meetings in someone’s home quickly blossomed into something far greater. You are now standing before Igreja Renascer. This church has a fascinating story. It is rooted in the vibrant religious landscape of S\u00e3o Paulo.
Igreja Renascer was founded in 1986. The founders were Estevam and S\u00f4nia Hernandes. They had been involved in religious activities. These activities included attending and advising entrepreneur C\u00e1ssio Colombo. Colombo had founded Igreja Evang\u00e9lica Independente de Indian\u00e1polis in 1975. It was also known as Cristo Salva. Formula 1 pilot Alex Dias Ribeiro was its main marketing symbol.
Estevam and S\u00f4nia broke away from Colombo. They began their own meetings. Soon after, they established Igreja Renascer.
Initially, Igreja Renascer attracted many young people. This was because of the significant role of music in their services. They incorporated diverse musical styles. These included rock, reggae, rap, and samba. Later, they also drew in business people. Self-employed professionals also joined.
Igreja Renascer is considered a neopentecostal church. This is similar to IURD. Neopentecostal churches emerged in the late 20th century. They preach a Prosperity Theology.
At one point, Igreja Renascer had over 1000 temples in Brazil. However, that number decreased. It went down to 315 temples. The majority of these were in S\u00e3o Paulo state. The church also has a presence in the United States. There are four temples there. One is in New York and three are in Florida.
Igreja Renascer may not be the largest in terms of temples or members. However, it gathers a large evangelical crowd. They come from different denominations. They attend large events. One is the Marcha para Jesus. It has taken place in S\u00e3o Paulo since 1993. It also takes place in other cities.
Since its beginning, the marches featured gospel musicians. They were the main attraction. Evangelical and political leaders attended. Igreja Renascer has officially supported candidates in many elections.
In the early 1990s, Igreja Renascer popularized the term gospel in Brazil. Estevam Hernandes and Ant\u00f4nio Carlos Abbud founded Gospel Records. They registered the term with the National Institute for Intellectual Property. Other evangelical labels emerged around the same time. Line Record was founded by IURD in 1991. Gra\u00e7a Music was founded by Igreja Internacional da Gra\u00e7a de Deus in 1999.
Gospel Records closed in 2010. Renascer Praise worship ministry became part of Universal Music. Bishop S\u00f4nia leads it. Igreja Renascer also ventured into communications. This was also in partnership with Abbud Associados. They rented programming space on other stations.
In 1990, they rented time at R\u00e1dio Imprensa 102.5. In 1992, they began renting time on TV channels. These included CNT and TV Manchete. In 1994, they acquired control over radio stations. These were Nacional Gospel 920 AM and Dimens\u00e3o Gospel FM 88.5.
In 1996, they received their first concession. This was during Fernando Henrique Cardoso’s government. They launched Rede Gospel de Televis\u00e3o. In 2000, they acquired Rede Manchete Gospel stations. This became Rede Gospel FM. The church tried to buy the bankrupt TV Manchete in 1999. However, the operation was not approved. The church already had another TV channel in S\u00e3o Paulo.
The church has had other businesses too. These include clothing brand Gospel Wear. There is also publisher Editora Renascer. Other ventures included Gospel Caf\u00e9 and the newspaper Gospel News.
In 2005, Estevam and S\u00f4nia created CIEAB. This is the Brazilian Apostolic Churches Confederation. It gathers 1500 leaders. They represent 260 apostolic ministries. CIEAB offers advice in 12 areas. These include legal, accounting, ministerial, and political advice.
The church also maintains AREPE. This is the Renascer Association of Entrepreneurs and Professionals. It aims to establish alliances. These are between self-employed professionals, businessmen, and Christian professionals. They meet on Mondays.
Igreja Renascer has faced its share of challenges. Yet, it remains a significant force. It continues to evolve. It impacts the religious and cultural landscape of S\u00e3o Paulo and beyond.