REVIVAL MOVEMENT SWEEPS BRAZIL

May 2011

If the trend continues, half of all Brazilians (the population currently counts 209 million citizens) could be evangelical Christians by 2020. So many Brazilians have already been 'born-again' that they've influenced all areas of life. In Brazil it's common for tens of thousands to flock to a single church on Sundays, and millions gather in the streets at massive worship events. When the popular worship team Diante do Trono came to Brasilia, a city of 1.5 million, 1.2 million people showed up to worship with them.
The transformed believers have learned to use their vote as well as their witness. Surveys show that born-again evangelicals tend to be more politically active and have more unshakeable convictions on many issues than their secular counterparts. This has led to changes in some Brazilian cities, like the crime and divorce rates going down, and government decisions being made that are beneficial for the people of the city. Belo Horizonte is a city of some three million located in Brazil's interior. It's called 'The Manger of the Revival'.  

"In 1998 we had less than 5,000 members now we have more than 35,000" said Pastor Marcio Valadao of Lagoinha Baptist. Some 150 people come to Christ every Sunday at our seven services. But it's what the church and its members are doing outside church walls that reveals why the revival could come to affect an entire culture. Four years ago, Lagoinha Baptist bought a local cable TV station and has now turned it into a 24-hour broadcasting powerhouse to the entire nation. "We try to take the message of the Gospel to every single person," Valadao said.

But not all researchers are optimistic. While the numbers are growing, "there's also an increase in superficiality, materialism and individualism in the Brazilian Church," notes researcher Luis André Brunet. In one case study, the city of Quinze de Novembro has about 80.4% evangelicals, while its neighbouring town of Alto Alegre has only 0.28%. "The most evangelised city beside one of the least evangelised cities," commented Brunet. Brazil has "mostly unprepared leadership that lacks direction in theology, ecclesiology and missiology".

Source: Intercessors Network