South Para Conference

The South Para Conference (Associação Sul do Pará or ASPa) is an administrative unit of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) located in the territory of the North Brazil Union Mission (União Norte Brasileira or UNB).

The South Para Conference’s headquarters is located on Trans-Amazon Highway, Zone 31, Block 00, Lot 01 A in Zip Code 68507-610 in the Nova Marabá neighborhood in the city of Marabá in the state of Pará, Brazil.

The ASPa mission field comprises the south part of the state of Pará and is nowadays organized in 49 pastoral districts. There are 514 congregations and 54,554 Adventist members in that region. The total population in its territory is of 2,283,381 people, and the average is about one Adventist per 41 inhabitants.¹

The ASPa manages six units of the Adventist Educational Network in its territory, serving a total of 2,626 students. The units are: Maraba Adventist Academy [Colégio Adventista de Marabá] located in the city of Marabá with 517 students; Paraupebas Adventist Academy [Colégio Adventista de Parauapebas] in the city of Parauapebas with 787 students; Paragominas Adventist Academy [Escola Adventista de Paragominas] in Paragominas with 513 students; Redenção Adventist Academy [Escola Adventista de Redenção] in Redenção with 350 students; Tucuruí Adventist Academy [Escola Adventista de Tucuruí] in the municipality of Tucuruí with 296 students; and Conceição do Araguaia Adventist Academy [Escola Adventista de Conceição do Araguaia] in the city of Conceição do Araguaia with 163 students.²

The field is covered by the Adventist Media Center – Brazil, and its signal is transmitted on two open channels to the cities of Marabá (channel 45) and Santana do Araguaia (channel 12). The potential viewing audience for the Adventist Media Center in these cities is 280,000 people.³ To meet the needs of this mission field, the ASPa has 376 staff members, and of these 320 are employees, 12 credentialed workers, and 44 licensed workers. There are eight employees in the Conference headquarters, and the ordained and licensed ministers total 55.⁴

The Origin Adventist Work in the Conference Territory

As far as it is known, the Adventist message reached the state of Pará in the early 1910s. In September 1911, Pastor John Lipke recognized that “even in the state of Pará the truth has spread” in such a way that there were already some Sabbathkeepers in that state.⁵ A few years later, on August 2, 1914, other missionaries were sent to work in that region. On that date, the Rohde brothers traveled from the state of Bahia to Pará to continue the preaching of the Gospel in that part of the country. Thus, the Advent message continued to be preached and to reach more and more people in the state of Pará.⁶

Near the end of the following decade, in 1927, the Lower Amazonas Mission (presently the North Para Conference) was established, and it covered the entire north region of Brazil. This Mission was organized under the leadership of John Lewis Brown, who was working with canvassers⁷ Hans Mayr and André Gedrath.⁸ Those three, together with Johanna Mayr (Hans’s wife) and John Brown’s wife and son, arrived in Belém in May of that year (1927). As soon as they arrived, they started the missionary work in Pará and in the entire surrounding territory such as the states of Ceará and Maranhão.⁹

In the following year, after carrying out evangelistic works in Fortaleza and São Luís (the Ceará and Maranhão capitals, respectively), canvassers Gedrath and Mayr decided to return to Belém. After arriving again in the capital of Pará, they built the launch “Ulm an der Donau” (“Ulm on the banks of the Danube” in German) in tribute to the river and the name of Mayr’s hometown (Ulm in the south of Germany). Through this launch, they were able to travel up and down the Amazon River performing health services and taking missionary literature throughout the region.¹⁰ Still in 1928, Pastor Leo Halliwell assumed the leadership of the Lower Amazonas Mission and started to travel with Mayr on “Ulm.” At that time, this launch was the only means of transportation available to reach communities located in the inner regions of the states. Realizing the efficiency of this, the leadership of the Lower Amazonas Mission started the construction of another launch, called “Light bearer”¹¹ that was inaugurated in 1931. These launches were used to carry the Adventist message to the cities that nowadays are part of the ASPa mission field.¹²

Every year, Pastor Halliwell and his wife traveled about 3,200 kilometers between Belém (in Pará) and Manaus (in the state of Amazonas), carrying out evangelistic works.¹³ Until 1940, they had already traveled almost 200,000 kilometers on the Amazon rivers (considering all the routes they took) while contributing to the fulfillment of the mission of preaching the Gospel. Later, around the mid-1950s, the preaching of the Adventist message was increased in the south and southeast of Pará.¹⁴ By 1956, there were already records of Adventists living in the city of Conceição do Araguaia, southeast of Pará and on the banks of the Araguaia River. Those first Adventists in the region were the sisters Ernestina, Ana, and Doninha Pereira Leite.¹⁵

Near the end of that decade, in 1959, there was already at least one Sabbathkeeper in Marabá, another municipality in the southeast of the state of Pará that is nowadays part of the mission field of the South Para Conference. During that year (1959), a canvasser went to work in that city and met a young merchant who said he had purchased a copy of the book The Great Controversy a few years before their meeting. That young man had read the book with great interest and, as a result, had come to keep the Sabbath and live according to the principles taught in that book.¹⁶ Around 10 years went by until, in 1969, a group of 43 people were baptized in the SDA Church in Marabá by Pastor Diógenes Melo. This group comprised the first Adventist congregation of that city.¹⁷

By the end of 1969 and the beginning of 1970, the leadership of the Adventist Church in that region started a series of conferences in Marabá at the Clube de Mães [Mother’s Club] in that city.¹⁸ On many nights, around 1,500 people attended those evangelistic meetings,¹⁹ and they started with the presentation of a course that was about how to quit smoking.²⁰ As a result of that evangelistic movement and divine blessings, about 100 people were added to the newly formed congregation in the city of Marabá.²¹ In the following two years, the Adventist Church in Marabá took further steps in the preaching of the Gospel. At that time, the Church’s leadership made the decision to maintain a preaching point in the city with messages transmitted through the municipal speaker service.²² The program was entitled “A Mensagem do Advento” [“The Advent Message”], and it was broadcasted daily for about 20 minutes. This way of preaching was considered to be a “true soul-winning agency.”²³

Until the beginning of 1972, more than 100 Adventist members in Marabá were still meeting in a temporary place since they did not have a temple where they could congregate. For this reason, in March 1972, the Lower Amazonas Mission assisted with the purchase of a land where the city’s Adventist church and a school would later be built. In that same year, what is considered the first SDA baptism in the city of Itupiranga took place in the southeast of the state of Pará. At the ceremony, seven people were baptized.²⁴

In 1973, the construction of the Marabá church started, and the canvassing work²⁵ in the city was intensified.²⁶ That year, through an agreement with the North Brazil Union Mission and the Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security of Brazil, some mobile clinics started to operate in the region. These clinics were managed by the Church and traveled through Rodovia Transamazônica [Trans-Amazonian Highway] between the cities of Altamira, Marabá, and Itaituba, offering health services, appointments, and presentations to the population. The teams that provided services to the clinics were trained directly by physician Isaías Almeida from Belem Hospital.²⁷

Since 1976, social assistance work developed even more in the south region of Pará. That year, the Adventist Church inaugurated the “Light Bearer Medical Launch of Araguaia” that sailed along the entire length of the Araguaia River (from the state of Goiás to Pará) on a route that included the municipality of Conceição do Araguaia.²⁸ In 1978, the Adventist Church promoted a big social crusade in Marabá. In partnership with the World Service Organization²⁹ and the Brazilian Air Force, on March 21, 1978, the Seventh-day Adventist Welfare Service delivered medicines and clothes to the population of Marabá.³⁰

From 1978 on, new churches emerged in other cities located near Marabá, currently part of the mission field of the South Para Conference. In Tucuruí, for example, 57 people were baptized in a series of conferences held at the end of 1978.³¹ In October of the following year, full-time Bible workers offered the course “O Mundo do Amanhã” [“The World of Tomorrow”] for the population of Paragominas. This course was attended by about 200 families.³² In January 1980, members members were trained in evangelism. In this context, the city of Conceição do Araguaia hosted a congress with all leaders of Adventist groups in the region. At that time, the municipality of Conceição do Araguaia had six organized groups, each with around 100 members. This shows how much the Adventist work had advanced in that city since its beginning in 1956.³³

In 1983, Adventists in many cities began to invest in the preaching of the Gospel through media. One of the cities in which this happened and can be mentioned as an example is Paragominas. It happened that, in response to the initiative of lay members and the Adventist pastoral leadership in that region, the local affiliate of Rede Globo [Globe Network] started broadcasting the program “Encontro com a Vida” [“Encounter with Life”] - a five-minute, daily evangelistic program presented from Monday to Saturday at 7:45 p.m.³⁴ But that was not the only Adventist achievement in the region at that time. In the educational arena, still in that same year (1983), the Maraba Adventist Academy was built “with a fine finishing and refinement seen on the various facilities.”³⁵

The following year (1984) was also important in the evangelistic development in the entire region. As part of the “Mil Dias de Colheita” [“One Thousand Days of Harvest”] campaign (an evangelistic campaign that had as a goal to preach the Word of God to 1,000,000 people in a thousand days). It was managed by the South American Division (SAD), so efforts in the preaching of the Gospel were increased. In Rondon do Pará (the municipality that belongs to the micro region of Paragominas), Adventist members visited many people daily, enrolling them in Bible courses of the program “A Voz da Profecia” [“The Voice of Prophecy”].³⁶ In Paragominas, this campaign was promoted by the television program “Encontro com a Vida” [“Encounter with Life”], and the visiting work was also carried out from house to house. The work produced positive results. In September of that year (1984), the Paragominas district, which already had seven organized churches, baptized 100 people.³⁷

In November 1986, in harmony with the expansion of the Adventist work in the countryside of Pará, a church was inaugurated in the city of Redenção. This facility was built with a capacity for 800 people and was considered one of the most beautiful temples in the entire region.³⁸ In the following year (1987), the pastoral district of Redenção was officially created, and in September of that same year, the district reached the goal of 38 baptisms.³⁹ A month later, the Marabá district organized a camp meeting that resulted in 96 baptisms. At that time, this last district comprised the cities of Marabá, Rondon do Pará, São João do Araguaia, Itupiranga, and Jacundá.⁴⁰

Conference Organizational History

The 1990s were marked by advances in the preaching of the Adventist message throughout the northern region of Brazil. In the early 2000s, the Lower Amazon Mission (presently the North Para Conference) already had 305 organized churches and about 121,500 Adventists.⁴¹ Due to the increase in the number of members and having in mind the great territorial extension of the field, the administrators of this Mission became convinced about the importance of the creation of a new administrative unit in that mission field. In this context, on October 14, 2001, the steering committee of the North Brazil Union Mission voted for the definitive creation of the South Para Mission (Missão Sul Pará or MSPa).⁴²

The first leaders of this new Mission were Ezequias Guimarães as president, José Soares da Silva Júnior as secretary, and Davi José de Sousa as treasurer.⁴³ The MSPa began operation in January 2002 in the south and east of Pará with 355 congregations, 22 pastoral districts, and 56,364 members. Since the beginning of its activities, this institution has had its headquarters on Trans-Amazon Highway, Zone 31, Block 00, Lot 01 A, in the Nova Marabá neighborhood in the city of Marabá in the state of Pará.⁴⁴

Since shortly after the foundation of the MSPa, the work done through that institution showed that the decision to install a new administrative unit in that region had been made correctly. In the first semester of 2002, there was a significant advance in the south, southeast, and west of the state of Pará with a total of 8,332 baptisms.⁴⁵ The subsequent period showed similar success and, about three years after its creation, the MSPa had its status changed. In a meeting of the steering committee of the MSPa that took place in June 2005, the UNB registered a vote that changed the name of the field from the South Para Mission to the South Para Conference. Some of the considerations taken into account by this committee were the 82% increase in the number of members and the increases in the number of congregations and pastoral districts that happened during the first three years of existence of the administrative unit.⁴⁶

Two years later, the ASPa mission field already had 232 congregations and 110,778 Adventists. These numbers, among other factors, highlighted the need for a new administrative reorganization.⁴⁷ In September 2007, the field administration sent the request of creation of a new Mission to UNB.⁴⁸ The request was evaluated and sent to the South American Division.⁴⁹ As a result of the entire process, later in December 2008, the UNB gathered to record the minutes of the West Para Mission Assembly that was being created.⁵⁰ This new administration started to operate in 2009 and was responsible for the Adventist work in the west region of the state of Pará. With the splitting of part of the mission field, the ASPa started to manage the south part of the Pará state and maintained its headquarters in the city of Marabá.⁵¹

The ASPa mission field continued to advance after this reorganization. The following decade demonstrated great evangelistic successes, and as a result of the work developed and the divine blessings poured out, thousands of people were baptized. In 2011, 9,248 baptisms happened across the Conference field. Then, in 2016, 7,299 people were baptized. Most recently, between January and July 2019, 5,715 people were baptized in the south region of Pará. All the developed work and the achievements obtained have testified that the mission of the ASPa to make the Gospel known to all the people of that region has been fulfilled with commitment.⁵²

The evangelistic work and the planting of new churches have been constant guidelines in the development of the ASPa. During the first four months of 2019, the South Para Conference mission field was the territory that inaugurated the most churches in the entire South American Division. Later, in October of that same year, the Conference’s leadership started a church planting project in the cities of Tucuruí and Breu Branco in the countryside of the state of Para. Still on the same day that the project was launched, a new church was created in the community of the Getat, a Tucuruí neighborhood.⁵³

Among the various projects developed by the ASPa, there is the intercessory prayer project in which members are encouraged to pray for other people. In addition, as it happens throughout the territory assisted by the UNB, in the ASPa, churches are structured in “Small Groups”⁵⁴ that carry out several evangelistic activities.⁵⁵ The members of the field also participate in projects developed by ADRA and others that are promoted by the DSA, such as “Vida por Vidas” [“Life for Lives”] ⁵⁶ “Missão Calebe” [“Caleb Mission Project”]⁵⁷ and “Quebrando o Silêncio” [“Breaking the Silence”].⁵⁸ In this mission field, projects of evangelization also have been done through Missionary Pairs, public evangelisms, bible classes, as well as satellite and web evangelism among others. Young people have also participated in the project “One Year in Mission”⁵⁹ by being sent to evangelize in other locations.⁶⁰

Another project of great evangelistic relevance in that region is the “Impacto Esperança,” [“Hope Impact”] Project,⁶¹ which takes place across the South American Division. In May 2019, Adventists from the Conference distributed nearly 200,000 books across the missionary field. About 1,000 copies were distributed by the ASPa’s headquarters workers in the city of Nova Ipixuna alone. These employees held a seminar in a school of the city and took advantage of the opportunity to distribute the missionary book for the students.⁶² In addition to the Conference employees action, on May 25, the Adventists of Marabá held a health fair⁶³ in the neighborhood of Novo Horizonte and distributed missionary books throughout that region.⁶⁴

Little by little, the social work done by Adventist members for the community of Pará has gained popular recognition. An example of this is that, in 2019, the Pathfinders Club⁶⁵ “Guardiões do Amazonas” [“The Amazon Guardians”] from the city of Bom Jesus do Tocantins in the countryside of the state of Pará received the title of Bonjesuense Citizen. The honor was a tribute granted by the Bom Jesus do Tocantins City Council for the work provided by the Club to the community. This honor granted to the club was the first of its kind to be awarded by the City Council to an organization.⁶⁶

Despite the achievements made so far, there are still challenges to be overcome and new goals to be achieved in the mission field of the South Para Conference. Among the challenges are: the need of a more uniform growth in numbers of baptisms and tithes; the difficulties faced in keeping members; and the availability of pastoral assistance in all locations of the field.⁶⁷

The goals for the future of the South Para Conference are inserted into a tripod called “Communion-Relationship-Mission.” As for Communion, these goals embrace encouraging members to have family worship during the early morning; encouraging the use of educational and interactive materials so that children and teenagers may participate in family services; and encouraging campaigns of family visitation. As for Relationship, these plans comprise encouraging interaction between sister churches; optimizing gymkhanas in Sabbath Schools; and even encouraging outdoor activities to strengthen the interaction between community and congregation. As for the Mission, future plans involve conserving and revitalizing church planting projects and implementing centers of influence in the south region of Para.”⁶⁸

The ASPa statement of institutional purpose follows its vision and the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church entirely. The Vision - “in harmony with the great prophecies of the Scripture, we understand that the climax of God’s plan is to restore all of His creation to full harmony with His perfect will and justice.” The Mission - “to make disciples of all nations, communicating the eternal Gospel in the context of the triple angelic message of Revelation 14: 6-12, inviting them to accept Jesus as their personal Savior and to join His remnant church, instructing them to serve Him as Lord and preparing them for His soon return.”⁶⁹

Chronology of Administrative Managers⁷⁰

Presidents: Ezequias Melo de Freitas Guimarães (2001-2005); Gilberto dos Santos Ribeiro (2005-2013); Samuel Muniz Bastos (2013-2018); Donato Azevedo Filho (2018-present).

Secretaries: José Soares da Silva Júnior (2001-2005); José Ribamar Bezerra Martins (2005-2009); Francisco Wellington Almeida (2009-2013); Fausto Rocha Farias (2013-2016); Donato Azevedo Filho (2016-2018); Valmir Teixeira Bastos (2018-present).

Treasurers: Davi José de Sousa (2001-2005); Clairton de Oliveira (2005-2009); Jozias Francisco da Costa (2009-2013); Edinaldo Pinto Martins (2013-2018); Dario Reis (2018-present)⁷¹

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Notes

1. Rita Martins (ASPa secretary assistant), message sent by e-mail to Carlos Flavio Teixeira (ESDA associated editor), September 6, 2019.↩

2. Ibid.↩

3. 2019 Brazil Census, Marabá, Pará, Marabá (PA) geographical level - 1504208, estimated population, IBGE, accessed November 29, 2019, https://bit.ly/2Drdwa4; 2019 Brazil Census, Santana do Araguaia, Pará, Santana do Araguaia (PA) geographical level - 1506708, estimated population, IBGE, accessed November 29, 2019, https://bit.ly/2R4Ir4e.↩

4. Rita Martins (ASPa secretary assistant), message sent by e-mail to Carlos Flavio Teixeira (ESDA associated editor), September 6, 2019.↩

5. John Lipke, “Missão Este-Brasileira” [“East Brazil Mission”], Revista Mensal [Monthly Review] 6, nos. 9 and 10 (September-October 1911): 12.↩

6. Manoel Kümpel, “Bahia,” Revista Mensal [Monthly Review] 9, no. 11 (November 1914): 7.↩

7. A Seventh-day Adventist Church evangelist canvasser is the missionary who “develops his ministry by acquiring and selling to the public the publications edited and approved by the Church, with the objective of transmitting to their fellow men the eternal Gospel that brings salvation, physical and spiritual well-being.” Seventh-day Adventist Church Website (Brazil), “Colportagem” [“Canvassing”], accessed February 4, 2020, http://bit.ly/2J6tY1I.↩

8. J. B. Johnson, “Abrindo Novos Territórios no Norte” [“Opening New Territories in the North”], Revista Mensal [Monthly Review] 22, no. 9, (September 1927): 6; John L. Brown, “Missão Baixo Amazonas” [“Lower Amazonas Mission”], Revista Mensal [Monthly Review] 22, no. 8 (August 1927): 11.↩

9. Rubens Lessa, Construtores de Esperança: na trilha dos pioneiros adventistas da Amazônia [Builders of Hope: on the trail of Adventist pioneers in the Amazon], Tatuí, SP: Brazil Publishing House, 2016, 45.↩

10. Ibid., 47-50.↩

11. “The first Light bearer Missionary Launch was inaugurated in July 1931 by the couple Leo and Jessie Halliwell, with the objective of taking health education and free medical and dental assistance to the poor coastal populations of Amazonas. [...] During these 80 years, thousands of people have directly benefited of the support provided by the launches. In many cases, this was the only way for these people to receive some medical and dental care.” Luzeiro [Light bearer], “História” [“History”], accessed January 22, 2020, https://www.luzeiro.org/.↩

12. Lessa, Construtores de Esperança: na trilha dos pioneiros adventistas da Amazônia [Builders of Hope: on the trail of Adventist pioneers in the Amazon], 99; Wilson Borba, “A Base Missionária Adventista do Sétimo Dia Brasileira: Sua Formação, Consolidação e Expansão” [“The Brazilian Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Base: Its Formation, Consolidation and Expansion”], Doctorate Thesis, Brazil Adventist University Campus Engenheiro Coelho, 2009, 123.↩

13. Floyd Greenleaf, Terra de esperança: o crescimento da Igreja Adventista na América do Sul [Land of Hope: The Growth of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in South America], Tatuí, SP: Brazil Publishing House, 2011, 356.↩

14. Lessa, Construtores de Esperança: na trilha dos pioneiros adventistas da Amazônia [Builders of Hope: on the trail of Adventist pioneers in the Amazon], 117, 137.↩

15. Lahyr Martins Montebello, “O Clamor do Tocantins, Araguaia e Xingu” [“The Cry of Tocantins, Araguaia and Xingu”], Revista Adventista 51, no. 3 (March 1956): 9-10.↩

16. Alvino S. Lessa, “A Colportagem é a Linha de Frente” [“Canvassing is the Front Line”], Revista Adventista 54, no. 11 (November 1959): 26.↩

17. Isaías Andrade, “Uninorte Notícias” [“North Union Mission News”], Revista Adventista 64, no. 10 (October 1969): 32.↩

18. Vandilson Rosas Júnior, “Evolução: 15 anos de transformações no sul do Pará” [“Progress: 15 years of transformations in the south of Para”], Notícias Adventistas [Adventist News], January 9, 2020, accessed January 13, 2020, https://bit.ly/36RhXbc.↩

19. Isaías Andrade, “Uninorte Notícias” [“North Union Mission News”], Revista Adventista 65, no. 2 (February 1970): 27-28.↩

20. Diógenes S. Melo, “A Mensagem da Cruz em Marabá” [“The Message of the Cross in Marabá”], Revista Adventista 65, no. 4 (April 1970): 28-29.↩

21. Rosas Júnior, “Evolução: 15 anos de transformações no sul do Pará” [“Progress: 15 years of transformations in the south of Para”], accessed January 13, 2020, https://bit.ly/36RhXbc; Isaías Andrade, “Uninorte Notícias” [“North Union Mission News”], Revista Adventista 65, no. 3 (March 1970): 26.↩

22. Isaías Andrade, “União Norte” [“North Union Mission”], Revista Adventista 66, no. 9 (September 1971): 27-28.↩

23. Eliseu J. Mendes, “Adventistas na Transamazônica” [“Adventists in the Trans-Amazon”], Revista Adventista 67, no. 1 (January 1972): 28.↩

24. “União Norte” [“North Union Mission”], Revista Adventista 67, no. 4 (April 1972): 27-28.↩

25. Canvassing is an “activity of voluntary and independent distribution of publications with religious content and themes related to health and quality of life of the family.” Whoever does the canvassing work is called a canvasser. Seventh-day Adventist Church (Brazil) Website, “Colportagem” [“Canvassing”], accessed February 14, 2020, https://bit.ly/2RQirbB.↩

26. Orlando Casale, “Colportando na Transamazônica” [“Canvassing in the Trans-Amazon”], Revista Adventista 68, no. 7 (July 1973): 19.↩

27. “União Norte” [“North Union Mission”], Revista Adventista 68, no. 12 (December 1973): 28.↩

28. “A lancha Luzeiro do Araguaia…” [“The Light bearer Medical Launch of Araguaia…”], Revista Adventista 71, no. 10 (October 1976): 9.↩

29. “The World Service Organization of Seventh-day Adventists provides support to Adventist members who work in public and government environments.” World Service Organization, “Sobre a WSO” [“About the WSO”], accessed June 18, 2020, https://bit.ly/2YaRmE9.↩

30. Larry Engel, “Sejamos Previdentes” [“Let Us Be Thoughtful”], Revista Adventista 73, no. 5 (May 1978): 27.↩

31. José Bessa Filho, “Líder de Evangelismo Informa Progressos na Divisão” [“Leader of Evangelism Reports Progress in the Division”], Revista Adventista 74, no. 1 (January 1979): 30-31.↩

32. “Missão Baixo-Amazonas: Vai Bem” [“Lower Amazon Mission is Fine!”], Revista Adventista 74, no. 11 (November 1979): 21-22.↩

33. Adamor Lopes Pimenta, “Adestrando Leigos em Conceição do Araguaia” [“Training Lay People in Conceição do Araguaia”], Revista Adventista 75, no. 2 (February 1980): 21.↩

34. “Horário Nobre” [“Prime Time”], Revista Adventista 78, no. 12 (December 1983): 33.↩

35. “‘Flashes’ Educacionais” [“Educational Flashes”], Revista Adventista 79, no. 1 (January 1984): 19.↩

36. “‘A Voz da Profecia’ [The Voice of Prophecy] is the oldest evangelical program in the Brazilian radio, starting in 1943. Since its beginning it has counted with the musical participation of the quartet Arautos do Rei [The King’s Heralds]. Nowadays, the program has its version, also, on TV, and it is presented by pastor Gilson Brito, who has been in the pastoral ministry for over 30 years. These are biblical sermons that present a message of hope and salvation.” Adventist Media Center, “A Voz da Profecia” [“The Voice of Prophecy”], accessed January 28, 2020, https://bit.ly/2RzGrRh.↩

37. “Festa dos Cem Batismos” [“Celebration of the One Hundred Baptisms”], Revista Adventista 79, no. 10 (October 1984): 19-20.↩

38. “Templo Com 800 Lugares” [“Temple with 800 Seats”], Revista Adventista 83, no. 4 (April 1987): 27.↩

39. “Pastor Leva Vida à Região da Morte” [“Pastor Brings Life to the Region of Death”], Revista Adventista 84, no. 2 (February 1988): 36.↩

40. “Campal Reúne Dois Mil Adventistas” [“Camp Meeting Gathers Two Thousand Adventists”], Revista Adventista 84, no. 2 (February 1988): 24-25.↩

41. “Lower Amazon Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2002), 280.↩

42. Minutes of the North Brazil Union Mission, October 2001, vote no. 2001-129.↩

43. Minutes of the North Brazil Union Mission, October 2001, vote no. 2001-130.↩

44. Rita Martins (ASPa secretary assistant), message sent by e-mail to Carlos Flavio Teixeira (ESDA associated editor), September 6, 2019.↩

45. Aquino Bastos, “MSP batiza mais de 8 mil pessoas” [“The MSP baptizes more than eight thousand people”], Revista Adventista 98, no. 9 (September 2002): 35.↩

46. Minutes of the South Para Mission, June 2005, vote no. 2005-034.↩

47. “South Para Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2008), 271.↩

48. Minutes of the South Para Conference, September 2007, vote no. 2007-126↩

49. Minutes of the North Brazil Union Mission, October 2007, vote no. 2007-159.↩

50. Minutes of the North Brazil Union Mission, December 2008, vote no. 2008-278.↩

51. Rita Martins (ASPa secretary assistant), message sent by e-mail to Carlos Flavio Teixeira (ESDA associated editor), September 6, 2019.↩

52. “South Para Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2011), 290.↩

53. Juliano Santos, “Plantio de igrejas inicia projetos em Tucuruí e Breu Branco” [“Church planting starts projects in Tucuruí and Breu Branco”], Notícias Adventistas [Adventist News], October 15, 2019, accessed November 28, 2019, https://bit.ly/34w7Szg.↩

54. “A Small Group is a group of people who meet weekly under the coordination of a leader aiming for spiritual, relational and evangelistic growth, with the goal of multiplication.” Seventh-day Adventist Church Website (Brazil), “Pequenos Grupos” [“Small Groups”], accessed February 4, 2020, https://bit.ly/2NtcXj7.↩

55. ASPa Communication Team, “Proclamando Esperança” [“Proclaiming Hope”], Mais Destaque Norte [More Emphasis in the North] 10, no. 56, (April-June 2014): 14-15.↩

56. “A voluntary initiative promoted by Adventist Youth. In 2005 the Project came up with the proposal of contributing to blood centers by encouraging blood donation during the Easter period.” Vida por Vidas [Life for Lives], “O Projeto” [“The Project”], accessed February 4, 2020, https://bit.ly/3dskZ9G.↩

57. “The Caleb Mission Project is a voluntary, social service and testimony program that challenges young Adventists to dedicate their vacations to evangelism in places where there is no Adventist presence, to strengthen small congregations and win new people into the kingdom of God.” Seventh-day Adventist Church Website (Brazil), “Missão Calebe 2020” [“Caleb Mission Project 2020”], accessed February 4, 2020, http://bit.ly/2HRpvRi.↩

58. “Breaking the Silence (enditnow) is an educational and prevention project against abuse and domestic violence promoted annually by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in eight countries of South America, (Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay) since 2002.” Seventh-day Adventist Church (Brazil) Website, “Quebrando o Silêncio” [“Breaking the Silence (enditnow)”], accessed February 4, 2020, https://bit.ly/2WoDfIW.↩

59. “The One Year in Mission (OYiM) project, promotes the participation of young Adventists in the mission of evangelizing urban centers in eight countries in South America, combining their talents, resources and professional knowledge with the community needs.” Seventh-day Adventist Church (Brazil) Website, “Um Ano Em Missão” [One Year In Mission], accessed February 4, 2020, https://bit.ly/2sCFyNL.↩

60. ASPa Communication Team, “Proclamando Esperança” [“Proclaiming Hope”], Mais Destaque Norte [More Emphasis in the North] 10, no. 56, (April-June 2014): 14-15.↩

61. “The Hope Impact Project encourages reading and provides a huge annual distribution of books by Seventh-day Adventists in the territory of South America.” Seventh-day Adventist Church (Brazil) Website, “Impacto Esperança 10 anos” [“10 Years of the Hope Impact Project”] accessed February 4, 2020, https://bit.ly/34dZROO.↩

62. Juliano Santos, “Ações compartilham esperança durante semana no Sul do Pará” [“Actions share hope during a week in the south of Para”], Notícias Adventistas [Adventist News], May 27, 2019, accessed November 28, 2019, https://bit.ly/33oLmHi.↩

63. “The Health Fair is a one, two or more days event, open to the public of all ethnicities and beliefs, without cost or profit. It is usually organized in public places such as gymnasiums, schools, parks, squares and malls. The community is invited to participate and receive the benefits of the tests and instructions.” Luiz Fernando Sella and Daniela Tiemi Kanno, Manual da Feira de Saúde [Health Fair Manual] (South American Division, 2015), 15.↩

64. Juliano Santos, “Ações compartilham esperança durante semana no Sul do Pará” [“Actions share hope during a week in the south of Para”], Notícias Adventistas [Adventist News], May 27, 2019, accessed November 28, 2019, https://bit.ly/33oLmHi.↩

65. The Pathfinders Club is made up of “boys and girls with ages between 10 and 15 years old, from different social classes, color, religion. They meet, in general, once a week to learn how to develop talents, skills, perceptions and a taste for nature.” These boys and girls “are thrilled with outdoor activities. They like camping, hiking, climbing, exploring the woods and caves. They know how to cook outdoors, making fire without matches.” In addition, they demonstrate “skill with discipline through drill commands and have their creativity awakened by manual arts. They also fight the use of smoke, alcohol and drugs.” Seventh-day Adventist Church (Brazil) Website, “Quem somos” [“About Us”], accessed February 4, 2020, http://bit.ly/2FDRqTh.↩

66. Juliano Santos, “Clube de Desbravadores recebe homenagem de Câmara de Vereadores no Pará” [“Pathfinders Club receives tribute from the City Council in Pará”], Notícias Adventistas [Adventist News], July 5, 2019, accessed November 28, 2019, https://bit.ly/2XUQxxw.↩

67. Rita Martins (ASPa secretary assistant), message sent by e-mail to Carlos Flavio Teixeira (ESDA associated editor), September 6, 2019.↩

68. Ibid.↩

69. Seventh-day Adventist Church (Brazil) Website, “Quem são os adventistas?” [“Who are the Adventists?”], accessed June 24, 2020, https://bit.ly/3179wIW.↩

70. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “South Para Association,” accessed June 18, 2020, https://bit.ly/2YGmV7K. More detailed information of all the administrative directors of the South Para Conference can be found in the SDA Yearbooks from 2001 to 2018.↩

71. More information about the South Para Conference can be found on their website at http://aspa.adventistas.org or on their social networks on Facebook: @AdventistasSuldoPara, Twitter: @ASPA_, Instagram: @advsuldopara, and YouTube: Adventistas Sul do Pará [South Para Adventists].↩