Moving Forward In Brazil
An update from Bert Turner, Executive Pastor at Covenant of Grace, Ohio, and Emerging Nations team representative to Brazil…
Karen and I were so humbled and blessed to be sent to Brazil for six weeks by Sovereign Grace Churches and our church, Covenant of Grace Church. We logged 16,000 miles in the air traveling from Cleveland, Ohio to five cities in Brazil – São Paulo, Fortaleza, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande and Porto Alegre. The Lord was gracious to build his church and connect us with his people all across Brazil. We are thankful to all who prayed for and supported us on the trip!
Our first stop was São Paulo. It was a joy spending time with our long-time friends and partners in the Gospel, Fabiano and Marcia Medeiros. We had a lovely time with our new friends and partners in the Gospel, Guilherme and Talyta Guimarães. Guilherme pastors a church plant that is pursuing formal partnership with Sovereign Grace Churches.
After São Paulo we travelled to Fortaleza where we visited with the leadership of a growing reformed and charismatic church. I spent a day with the leadership and preached in their Sunday services.
In our next city, Rio de Janeiro, we renewed relationships with long-time friends and pastors who are influential in Brazil in various ways.
In Rio Grande we gathered all the husbands and wives of the churches pursuing partnership with Sovereign Grace Churches for a weekend of fellowship and ministry. We were hosted by Emerson Soares and his church, Igreja Graça Soberana. It was a joy being with Emerson and Tati again. Emerson is in the final stages of the ordination process.
In our final city, Porto Alegre, we spent a wonderful week with Jader Bitencourt and his church, Igreja Casulo. Jader and Andressa are becoming dear friends as their church pursues formal partnership.
It would be hard to overstate how important it was to have Rich Richardson, Pastor and leader for the Latin American team, join us for a week in Rio Grande and Porto Alegre. His ministry of the Word was very effective as was his warm and insightful interaction with the Brazilians. Rich was also a great encouragement to Karen and I.
These were two highlights of the trip. The first was Fabiano’s ordination on September 18th which was a sweet and significant step in his 17 year-long quest to partner with SGC in Brazil. Now he is better equipped to be our boots-on-the-ground for our developing relationships and further ordinations in Brazil, which he is eager to pursue.
The second highlight was meeting with Rich. All the men – Guilherme Guimarães, Fabiano Medeiros, Emerson Soares, Jader Bitencourt — carried the sense of being a nascent team of diversely gifted men upon which God will build in the years to come. That joy was multiplied by having all the wives present that weekend as well.
In that meeting with the team I shared the sense that the Lord gave me Revelation 3:8 as a context for where these churches and SGC Brazil are at this time.
“I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” (Revelation 3:8)
Truly, we need the Lord to build the house as we attempt to walk through the open door for SGC to serve the Lord’s purposes in Brazil. I believe our efforts there are timely. God is moving in some remarkable ways in Brazil to restore the doctrines of grace and to build his church.
