
Modesto Marques de Oliveira
Photo courtesy of Brazilian White Center - UNASP.
Oliveira, Modesto Marques de (1924–1989)
By The Brazilian White Center – UNASP
The Brazilian White Center – UNASP is a team of teachers and students at the Brazilian Ellen G. White Research Center – UNASP at the Brazilian Adventist University, Campus Engenheiro, Coelho, SP. The team was supervised by Drs. Adolfo Semo Suárez, Renato Stencel, and Carlos Flávio Teixeira. Bruno Sales Gomes Ferreira provided technical support. The following names are of team members: Adriane Ferrari Silva, Álan Gracioto Alexandre, Allen Jair Urcia Santa Cruz, Camila Chede Amaral Lucena, Camilla Rodrigues Seixas, Daniel Fernandes Teodoro, Danillo Alfredo Rios Junior, Danilo Fauster de Souza, Débora Arana Mayer, Elvis Eli Martins Filho, Felipe Cardoso do Nascimento, Fernanda Nascimento Oliveira, Gabriel Pilon Galvani, Giovana de Castro Vaz, Guilherme Cardoso Ricardo Martins, Gustavo Costa Vieira Novaes, Ingrid Sthéfane Santos Andrade, Isabela Pimenta Gravina, Ivo Ribeiro de Carvalho, Jhoseyr Davison Voos dos Santos, João Lucas Moraes Pereira, Kalline Meira Rocha Santos, Larissa Menegazzo Nunes, Letícia Miola Figueiredo, Luan Alves Cota Mól, Lucas Almeida dos Santos, Lucas Arteaga Aquino, Lucas Dias de Melo, Matheus Brabo Peres, Mayla Magaieski Graepp, Milena Guimarães Silva, Natália Padilha Corrêa, Rafaela Lima Gouvêa, Rogel Maio Nogueira Tavares Filho, Ryan Matheus do Ouro Medeiros, Samara Souza Santos, Sergio Henrique Micael Santos, Suelen Alves de Almeida, Talita Paim Veloso de Castro, Thais Cristina Benedetti, Thaís Caroline de Almeida Lima, Vanessa Stehling Belgd, Victor Alves Pereira, Vinicios Fernandes Alencar, Vinícius Pereira Nascimento, Vitória Regina Boita da Silva, William Edward Timm, Julio Cesar Ribeiro, Ellen Deó Bortolotte, Maria Júlia dos Santos Galvani, Giovana Souto Pereira, Victor Hugo Vaz Storch, and Dinely Luana Pereira.
First Published: July 10, 2021
Modesto Marques de Oliveira was a teacher, pastor, and administrator in Brazil.
Modesto Marques de Oliveira was born on March 28, 1924, in the city of Corrégo dos Macacos in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. His parents, Dorcil da Costa Marques (1898-1966) and Maria Cândida Marques de Oliveira (1897-1992), had nine children: José Marques de Oliveira (1921-1985), Modesto Marques de Oliveira (1924-1989), Ezequias Marques de Oliveira (1928-2005), Elias da Costa Marques (1934-), Dirceu da Costa Marques (1934-), Dorcimar da Costa Marques (1936-), Luzmar de Oliveira Marques (1938-), Zulmar da Costa Marques (1936), and Diolinda Marques de Oliviera (1946-).1 Modesto was raised in an Adventist home. He completed elementary school in the region of Barro Branco and high school in the city of Tocantins, both in the state of Minas Gerais. At 16 years of age, he contracted total paralysis in his legs, and his mother promised God that if her son recovered, he would be dedicated to the ministry. Her prayers were answered, and in 1943, he began Theology studies at East Brazil Academy (now IPAE), graduating in 1949.2
In the same year of his graduation, he married to Zânoa Bruscagin Oliveira (1926-1982), who served for many years as an elementary teacher in Adventist schools. The couple had four children: Sonia Marques de Oliveira (1950-), Sonila Marques de Oliveira (1952-), Silas Marques de Oliveira (1953-), and Sidney Marques de Oliveira (1958-).3
After graduating, Modesto completed a Master’s degree in Theology at Andrews University.4 On returning to Brazil, he was appointed pastor of the Madureira and Olaria churches in the city of Rio de Janeiro, where he served from in 1952 to 1956. He was ordained to the ministry in 1956, and following this, he pastored in the district of Juiz de Fora in the state of Minas Gerais.5 In 1958, he accepted the call to be president of the Bahia and Sergipe Mission, where he also undertook the leadership of the Radio department and served in both capacities until 1960.6
In 1963, Modesto was appointed as secretary/business manager and Bible teacher at the Northeast Brazil Junior College, located in Catende in the state of Pernambuco, where he served until 1967.7 Afterwards, he served as pastor of the Central Church of Curitiba in the state of Paraná from 1972 to 1973.8 Later in 1977, he accepted a call to teach Church History and Archeology at the Theological Seminary of the Brazil College (now UNASP-SP).9
During that time, Modesto completed his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago, later validating it at the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC) in November 1980 with a thesis entitled A Desideologização do Cristianismo Latino-Americano na Teologia da Libertação [The De-ideologization of Latin American Christianity in Liberation Theology].10 He was a Theology teacher at Brazil College until his retirement in 1987.11
As a teacher, he published workbooks discussing the following themes: History of the Reformation and Contemporary Religions, Adventist Church History, History of Prophetic Interpretation, Archeology, Introduction of the old Testament, Historical Interpretation of the Old Testament, and Ecclesiastical History, among others.12
Modesto Marques passed away on November 24, 1989, at the age of 65, two years after his retirement. The funeral ceremony took place at the Adventist Church in the city of Tocantins in the state of Minas Gerais, which was held by pastors Paulo Siqueira and Tercio Duarte. Modesto was buried in Belo Horizonte in the capital of the state of Minas Gerais.13 He provided a ministry of 35 years to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, known for his excellence in pastoral, administrative and teaching skills.
Sources
“Modesto Marques de Oliveira”, Revista Adventista 86, no. 2 (February 1990): 29.
Oliveira, Modesto M. de. “A Desideologização do Cristianismo Latino-Americano na Teologia da Libertação.” Faculdade de Teologia Nossa Senhora da Assunção, 1980.
Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association. Various years.
Notes
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Silas Marques de Oliveira, email message to Rogel Maio Nogueira Tavares Filho, September 24, 2019.↩
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“Modesto Marques de Oliveira (1924-1989),” Revista Adventista 86, no. 2 (February 1990): 29; Silas Marques de Oliveira, email message to Rogel Maio Nogueira Tavares Filho, September 24, 2019.↩
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Ibid.↩
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Silas Marques de Oliveira, email message to Rogel Maio Nogueira Tavares Filho, September 24, 2019.↩
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“Rio-Minas Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1953), 168; “Rio Minas Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1958), 151; “Rio Minas Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and herald Publishing Association, 1957), 145; Silas Marques de Oliveira, email message to Rogel Maio Nogueira Tavares Filho, September 24, 2019.↩
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“Bahia and Sergipe Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1959), 154; “Bahia and Sergipe Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1961), 162.↩
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“Northeast Brazil Junior College,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1964), 311; “Northeast Brazil College,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1968), 329.↩
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Silas Marques de Oliveira, email message to Rogel Maio Nogueira Tavares Filho, September 24, 2019; “Parana Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1973,74), 237.↩
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“Brazil College,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1978), 328; Silas Marques de Oliveira, email message to Rogel Maio Nogueira Tavares Filho, September 24, 2019.↩
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Silas Marques de Oliveira, email message to Rogel Maio Nogueira Tavares Filho, September 24, 2019; Modesto Marques de Oliveira, “A Desideologização do Cristianismo Latino-Americano da Libertação” (Tese de doutorado, Faculdade de Teologia Nossa Senhora da Assunção, 1980), 1.↩
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“Brazil College,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1978), 328; Silas Marques de Oliveira, email message to Rogel Maio Nogueira Tavares Filho, September 24, 2019.↩
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Silas Marques de Oliveira, email message to Rogel Maio Nogueira Tavares Filho, September 24, 2019.↩
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Silas Marques de Oliveira, email message to Rogel Maio Nogueira Tavares Filho, September 24, 2019; “Modesto Marques de Oliveira (1924-1989),” Revista Adventista 86, no. 2 (February 1990): 29.↩