Amazonas-Roraima Conference

The Amazonas-Roraima Conference (Associação Amazonas Roraima or AAmaR) is an administrative unit of the Seventh-day Adventist Church located in the territory of the Northwest Brazil Union Mission (União Noroeste Brasileira or UNoB).

The Amazonas-Roraima Conference is headquartered on 3301 Max Teixeira Avenue at Zip Code 69.090-002 in the Cidade Nova neighborhood in the city of Manaus, the capital of the state of Amazonas, Brazil.

The AAmaR mission field covers part of the West Zone in addition to the East and North zones of Manaus. It also covers the eastern and southeastern regions of the state of Amazonas and the entire state of Roraima.¹ The population living in this area is 2,537,485 inhabitants, of which 69,224 are Seventh-day Adventists.² The average in the region is one Adventist per 36 inhabitants. There are 57 pastoral districts with a total of 773 congregations.³

In this missionary territory, six school units of the Adventist Educational Network are in operation, two of which are established in the city of Manaus: Cidade Nova Adventist Academy (Colégio Adventista de Cidade Nova or CACN) with 1,142 students,⁴ and Paul Bernard Adventist Academy (Colégio Adventista Paul Bernard or CAPB) with 1,128 students.⁵ The other three schools are located in different cities in the state of Amazonas: Itacoatiara Adventist Academy (Escola Adventista de Itacoatiara or EAI), in the city of Itacoatiara, with 401 students;⁶ Nova Olinda do Norte Adventist Academy (Escola Adventista de Nova Olinda do Norte or EANO), in Nova Olinda do Norte, with 173 students;⁷ and Adventist Agricultural-Industrial Academy (Instituto Adventista Agro-Industrial or IAAI), in Rio Preto da Eva, with 388 students.⁸ Finally, the Boa Vista Adventist Academy (Colegio Adventista Boa Vista or CABV) is located in the state of Roraima in the city of Boa Vista and has 442 students.⁹ All of these units have a combined total of 3,674 students. In addition to these school units, the AAmaR also manages an Adventist Recreation and Training Center (Centro Adventista de Treinamento e Recreação or CARTEM) in Manaus.

The evangelization work in the region has the TV Novo Tempo [Hope Channel Brazil] as an important tool. The station can be watched on an open channel in 7 these cities: Manaus, Rio Preto da Eva, Itacoatiara, Parintins, Maués, and Manicoré in Amazonas; and Boa Vista in Roraima. The TV Novo Tempo signal has a potential range of 1,421,788 people. In order for church activities in this region to be successfully developed, AAmaR has 138 employees of whom 48 are ordained pastors and 23 are licensed pastors.¹⁰

The Origin of the SDA Work in the Conference Territory

The Adventist message reached the state of Amazonas in 1927¹¹ along with the development of Lower Amazonas Mission (Missão do Brasileira Amazonas or MBA, presently the North Pará Conference) located in the city of Belém in the state of Pará. However, the necessary impetus for evangelization of the state came when Pastor Leo Halliwell worked in the region.¹² In 1929, the Halliwell couple, together with Elmer H. Wilcox, the president of East Brazil Union Conference (presently the Southeast Brazil Union Conference), canvasser¹³ Hans Mayr and Manoel Pereira traveled to the city of Maués in Amazonas. However, before that, Pastor John L. Brown, with the desire to promote the Adventist message, traveled from Belém to Manaus, and once there, he delivered fliers to a Jewish member of the community, Salomão Levy, who received and gave them to a friend, farmer José Batista Michiles.¹⁴ So, when Halliwell arrived in Maués, he found a Sabbath School in operation.¹⁵ Halliwell baptized Michiles and four other people in the city.¹⁶

At that time, aggressive diseases infested the Amazon. So, the strategy of Pastor Halliwell and his wife, Jessie, was to fully take care of people and not just convert them to a religion. This work was carried out in the riverside communities. Since it was difficult to move in this territory due to the Amazon rainforest, the easiest way to reach these communities was by river transport. For this reason, it was necessary to build a launch that could meet the needs of the people in that region.¹⁷ Thus, on July 4, 1931, the missionary launch “Luzeiro I” [“Light Bearer I”] was inaugurated. From then on, Adventism in Amazonas grew exponentially, and so they built the launch “Luzeiro II” [“Light Bearer II”]. With these launches, more than 100,000 people were served, 10,000 were vaccinated against smallpox, 51,077 were treated for malaria, 21,747 treated for verminosis, and 7,009 for ulcers. At that time, the missionary couple sailed more than 250 thousand km through the largest river in the world, the Amazon River, and its affluents. The pioneering work of this couple was awarded in 1959 when they received the Cruzeiro do Sul National Medal.¹⁸

Over the years and with the expansion of the Adventist Church in the region, in 1936, the North Brazil Union Conference (União Norte Brasileira or UNB) was created, thus increasing the effectiveness of evangelistic work in that vast territory. At that time, the area of activity of this Union was in the states of Amazonas, Pará, Acre, Rondônia, Roraima, Amapá, Ceará, Piauí, and Maranhão, with a territory of more than 4,300,000 km².¹⁹ Seeking greater growth, new administrative units were being established in its territory. As units began to emerge, the evangelistic projects carried out by the Adventist Church in that region became more active. One of the reasons for the growth and formation of the missionary fields in this area was the fact that the Belém-Manaus route was the main one for the Light Bearer missionary launch. At the same time, the Adventist message reached important points in the current AAmaR territory such as Parintins, Maués, and Barreirinha, among other cities in Amazonas.²⁰

With the increasing expansion of the church’s missionary work in the Amazonas region, in 1940, the Central Amazon Mission (Missão Central da Amazônia or MCA, presently the Central Amazon Conference) was established, and this field of work was composed of the current states of Amazonas, Roraima, Acre, and Rondônia. In the state of Roraima, Adventism arrived through fisherman and alligator hunter Arthur José de Figueiredo. Figueiredo was a resident of the Purus River region and, at the invitation of a farmer, he moved to the city of Boa Vista in mid-1947. Since he was an influential person, he soon attracted men skilled in fishing, hunting, and handling alligator skins. The work was carried out successfully, and so, Brother Figueiredo decided to move with his whole family, 17 people, to the state of Roraima in July 1948. The trip to the city took 10 days by boat.²¹

When they arrived in Boa Vista, Brother Arthur Figueiredo and his family started to live in the “Rói Couro” neighborhood (now the São Pedro neighborhood)²² where he built his house out of raw clay bricks and covered it with buriti palm tree straw.²³ The first Seventh-day Adventist congregation in the state of Roraima operated in this room. The community continued to advance successfully and, in 1949, the group had 21 members. By 1954, it already had more than 50 Adventists who, in that same year, were baptized by Pastor Walter Streithorst in the Branco River on a Sabbath afternoon. Two years later (1956), the MCA sent Pastor Donald Mansell to work in the city of Boa Vista and the then Federal Territory of Rio Branco (presently the state of Roraima). The pioneering spirit of these Brothers was of great importance for the arrival and expansion of Adventism in the state of Roraima.²⁴

The expansion continued and, in 1963, the capital of the Federal Territory of Rio Branco already had a radio station that broadcast the program “A Voz da Profecia” [“The Voice of Prophecy”].²⁵ At the end of 1969, an Adventist education unit, the Rio Branco Primary School, was operating in the city, offering elementary education. That year, the school served about 100 students, and it gained prominence from the government of the federal territory during the celebrations of Homeland Week in Boa Vista. At that time, within the national integration project led by the government of Brazil, Boa Vista was called the “Capital of Integration.”²⁶

The growth of Adventist work was also noticeable in the state of Amazonas, mainly in the educational area. In the 1960s, the MCA made efforts to establish an Adventist boarding school that would offer middle school education in the state. The reason for this was that the only Adventist institution that offered high school in the territory of the North Union Mission was the Pará Day Academy (presently the Grão-Pará Adventist Academy), in Belém. Thus, after a meeting of pastors Itamar Sabino de Paiva and Robert Habenicht with the governor of Amazonas, in January 1964, the government donated an area of 10,000 hectares on state highway AM-010. Two years later, the Amazonas Agricultural School (presently the Adventist Agricultural-Industrial Academy) was established there.²⁷

In the early 1970s, a new phase of the Adventist work began in Roraima. In 1971, Pastor Orlando Ferreira initiated evangelism among the Macuxi Indians, one of the ethnic groups present in the state. This work bore many fruits, such as the baptism of 20 Macuxi in December 1971 on the Ailã River, the northernmost point in Brazil.²⁸ In the same decade, the congregation of the capital went through some obstacles that made it difficult to preach the Gospel in the city. Thus, it was necessary to take some stronger measures for the Adventist Church to keep growing. With great faith and efforts put into preaching, in late 1975, a new temple was inaugurated with a capacity for 200 people. The building was built in just six months through a lot of work and with resources from the Brothers themselves. The inauguration of the temple took place on the last Sabbath of 1975, showing the success of evangelistic work in that capital.²⁹

As early as the 1980s, the Adventist Church in this area experienced significant growth by the standards for that time. In 1987, the MCA held a series of meetings in Boa Vista led by Pastor Zinaldo Santos and Theology students from the Brazil College (presently Brazil Adventist University – Universitario Adventista de Sao Paulo or UNASP). Until October of that year, the series resulted in the baptism of 323 people in addition to the establishment of new congregations to receive the newly baptized.³⁰ Through the efforts of members, the Church was established in other cities in Roraima such as Novo Caroebe in the south of the state.³¹

Another highlight in the history of the AAmaR missionary field was the evangelization of detainees carried out at the Boa Vista State Prison within 1995 and 1996. At the time, members of Boa Vista Central Church along with Pastor Jobson Santos, the district pastor of the city, engaged in this missionary work. The first baptism took place in October 1995 when seven prisoners were baptized. The second happened in April 1996. Adventists' work within the detention center was recognized, not only by the inmates, but also by the leadership of the state penitentiary system.³²

Due to the entire MCA’s journey of success, it had its status changed in 2000 to the Central Amazon Association (Associação Central Amazonas or ACeAm). At the time, the new Conference already had almost 87,000 Adventists in addition to 167 churches organized in the states of Amazonas and Roraima.³³

The Conference Organizational History

On November 9, 2004, the UNB, in its plenary board, registered the vote with the reasons and recommendations for a new field analyzed by the SAD Survey board. These recommendations included a vote for a new administrative unit to begin its activities as of January 1, 2006. The Central Amazon Conference was already the largest one in the world with just over 140,000 members, which created the need for this reorganization.³⁴

In addition to the expansive growth of members and pastoral districts, an element that stood out in the justification for the reorganization was the great territorial distance and the financial and temporal barriers related to travel time. Thus, the creation of a new conference would allow a better structure capable of providing a service more consistent with the challenges and needs of that context. After thorough studies on the demographic, geographic, and financial aspects of the ACeAm, at its 15^th Extraordinary Assembly, the process for creating that new Unit began.³⁵

The Amazonas-Roraima Conference, adopting “the slogan ‘Nascendo para brilhar e vivendo para amar’ [‘Being born to shine and living to love’], was inaugurated on November 23”, 2005, and was headquartered in the neighborhood of Cidade Nova. The construction of the building lasted only three months and 23 days, and since its establishment, the field headquarters remains at the same address. At the time of the inauguration, the AAmaR was comprised of 26 districts and about 70,000 Adventists. Its administrative territory was the state of Roraima and a part of the state of Amazonas. The first leaders chosen to direct this new Unit were pastors Moisés Batista (president), Alijofran Brandão (secretary), and Jackson Sousa (treasurer).³⁶

Since its emerging, the AAmaR has stood out for having a membership that is vibrantly involved in missionary and global mission projects.³⁷ In addition, it seeks to maintain a good standard of estate development in churches and institutions as well as being concerned with the integral development of the church as shown by the evangelistic and educational projects highlighted in its history.

The emerging of a new school was a milestone in the growth of the Adventist Educational Network at AAmaR. On February 3, 2008, Cidade Nova Adventist Academy was inaugurated. Its headquarters is located on one of the main avenues in the North Zone of Manaus: Noel Nutels Avenue, and its distance from the AAmaR headquarters is about 1 km. The educational unit has grown rapidly throughout its 12 years of operation and, in 2013, its Multisport Gymnasium was built with a great structure to serve students. In January 2019, the academy started offering high school course, thus expanding its curriculum.³⁸

With the new impulse that Adventist education received, in 2014, the Paul Bernard Adventist Academy was reinaugurated in the East Zone of Manaus. The renovation included the modernization of the building with emphasis on the installation of an elevator for greater accessibility for people with special needs. Another educational highlight was the inauguration of Boa Vista Adventist Academy in February 2015, the most modern school in the territory and representing a major educational advance in the region of Roraima.³⁹

In addition to educational development, major public preaching campaigns marked the growth of the church in the region. At the AAmaR, such projects were identified with the name “Impacto Roraima-Amazonas” [“Roraima-Amazonas Impact”] stood out in the planting of regional churches. The first was the “Impacto Roraima” [“Roraima Impact”], held in 2010 and 2013, and it resulted in 24 new congregations. In 2013, the “Impacto Amazonas” [“Amazonas Impact”] was also held in the cities of Itacoatiara, Maués, and Autazes, resulting in 10 new churches planted in the countryside.⁴⁰

Still in 2010, there was an important administrative change in the region. The UNB was reorganized, and part of its missionary territory began to be led by a new Union-Mission headquartered in Manaus, the Northwest Brazil Union Mission (União Noroese Brasileira or UNoB). Thus, the AAmaR started to be administered by the UNoB.⁴¹ In addition, the AAmaR missionary field needed to be adjusted in order to better serve its members. The first of these changes took place in June 2011 when the pastoral districts of Apuí and Humaitá were transferred to the West Amazon Conference (Associação Amazônia Ocidental or AAmO). The main reason was the territorial proximity of its headquarters. There was also a need to incorporate the churches of the city of Barcelos and its neighborhood into the AAmaR territory, though they were previously served by the ACeAm. This transfer was successful in October 2016 when a pastoral district headquartered in the city of Caracaraí in Roraima was created. The growth in the number of pastoral districts shows that the establishment of the field was quite beneficial for the region.⁴²

In 2012, it was the Gospel’s turn to advance through technological resources. With an emphasis on advancing the TV Novo Tempo [Hope Channel Brazil] open channel, the cities of Itacoatiara, Parintins, Maués, and Manicoré were reached. In the following year, the coverage expanded to the city of Rio Preto da Eva and reached Boa Vista. However, in this type of evangelism, the most challenging achievement took place in the capital of the state of Amazonas, the city of Manaus, where the TV signal was launched on August 28, 2014.⁴³ That year, as a result of the Adventism expansion, on November 15, the temple of Torres Adventist Church was inaugurated, and it was located on Torres Avenue in Manaus. The temple was built with the financial support from the Brazil Publishing House (Casa Publicadora Brasileira or CPB).⁴⁴ Another success was achieved by receiving funds from the world Adventist Church, stemming from Sabbath School offerings, to build the IAAI temple that was inaugurated on October 21, 2016.⁴⁵ These achievements reveal the results of many efforts that do not cease in favor of the mission of multiplying the Gospel to the ends of the Amazon territory and saving the maximum lives for the kingdom of God.

In this context of rapid missionary expansion, attention has been paid to the necessary preservation of the Adventist Church history in the region covered by the AAmaR. For instance, there was an initiative that was inaugurated on May 2, 2015 to transform the first SDA church in the northwest region into a museum. This museum is located in the city of Maués on the Centenário farm, the first missionary base of Pastor Leo Halliwell and his wife Jessie in the state and headquarters of the first Adventist school in the region. The site of this first temple was donated by the Michiles family, since from it came the first converts who were baptized by Pastor Halliwell.⁴⁶

The AAmaR missionary field has been served through various types of evangelistic projects since its establishment. One of them to be highlighted is the caravan “Acenda a Esperança” [“Light the Hope”], which started in 2015. It focuses on adding an incentive to the previous engagement of members in instructing people to the recognized method of public evangelism, resulting in baptisms performed during the passage of the caravan.⁴⁷ Another project is “Quebrando o Silêncio” [“Breaking the Silence”],⁴⁸ which has been carried out for years in the region. In the 2018 edition, its main emphasis was on suicide prevention. So, on Sunday, August 26^th, 4,500 people participated in the IV edition of the “Corrida Quebrando o Silêncio” [“Breaking the Silence Marathon”] with the aim of raising social awareness on this topic. As a complement to this action, on September 2 of the same year, “Quebrando o Silêncio Kids” [“Breaking the Silence Kids”] was held in the Olympic Village of Manaus. More than 1,300 children and teenagers between the ages of 1 to 15 participated in this marathon.⁴⁹

In its context of operation in a border territory in Brazil, the AAmaR receives many immigrants. For example, on January 12, 2010, an earthquake hit Haiti in Central America, causing a major catastrophe. The event left many people homeless and caused many deaths. Thousands of Haitians immigrated to Brazil, and many of them entered the country through the border of Bolivia with the state of Acre. These immigrants found in Brazil an opportunity to survive and look for a job, thus being able to help family members who wanted to rebuild their lives in Haiti. Although many have spread to other regions of the country, a large number remained in the city of Manaus, which caused the church in that region to help them in some way.⁵⁰ Many families have been supported with food, clothing. and medicines, and were evangelized in a more direct way. In this sense, a Small Group⁵¹ was also established within a community of Haitians located in the Novo Aleixo neighborhood in the North Zone of Manaus.⁵²

Another factor that challenges the AAmaR is missionary assistance to the large population coming from Venezuela, a country that borders the state of Roraima. Venezuela is currently going through the worst economic crisis in the country's history, causing, until now, the biggest exodus from there in its history.⁵³ The majority of these migrants enter through the border between Venezuela and Brazil, through the city of Pacaraima in northern Roraima, coming from Santa Helena de Uairén in southern Venezuela. Many keep their families in Venezuela and want to return when the situation in the country improves. However, while staying in Brazil, they need all kinds of possible help. The challenge to reach these people is intensified by the great cultural diversification and the rapid increase in the demographic rate of cities.⁵⁴

Various activities have been developed by the Church in this region to alleviate the suffering of these people. One of these activities is done through the “Centro de Acolhimento e Desenvolvimento Mulher Mais” [“Reception and Development Center Woman More”], which was created with the purpose of welcoming the community and refugees. Developing social projects that will contribute to their adaptation and socialization, the center offers short courses such as handmade flowers, balloon sculptures, seats with recycled materials, tutoring services in Portuguese, Libras (Brazilian Sign Language), and music. In addition to these courses, medical, dental, and psychological assistance is available free of charge. Each person served is invited to attend the Friday meetings of the small group at the same location. The activities of this Reception Center are coordinated by the AAmaR, and its objective is to maintain a Bible course so these people also have the opportunity to study the Word of God.

Through these and many other missionary projects, the AAmaR continues with the objective of expanding the evangelistic fronts in its territory. In 2019, four Espaços Novo Tempo [“Hope Channel Spaces”] were inaugurated to receive people who are part of the “Escola Bíblica NT” [“NT Bible School”] system. The first Espaço Novo Tempo was inaugurated on June 7 in the Monte das Oliveiras neighborhood, which is located in northern Manaus. A novelty was the inauguration of a “Espacinho NT Kids” [“NT Kids Tiny Space”], which was established to carry a message contextualized in children's language while the parents study the Bible in the Bible School. It is expected that, through this structure, the number of people studying the Bible will increase.⁵⁵ In order to help in the development of this young audience, the Conference has 457 Pathfinders clubs⁵⁶ that serve 11,169 young people, and 300 Adventurers clubs⁵⁷ in which 4,935 children participate across the field.⁵⁸ Many of these participants are not Adventists and so, being part of the clubs, they have the opportunity to learn more about Jesus.

All this missionary movement has produced a lot of learning. The lessons received have helped Adventists in the region to continue to rely on God's guidance amid the many challenges that still need to be faced. Be it the new waves of immigration⁵⁹ or the local peculiarities themselves, all of this will continue to be seen as opportunities amid the challenges. No other state in Brazil has a larger indigenous population than the region where the AAmaR operates, and its inhabitants are separated into 65 ethnic groups. The Saterê-Mawé and Ticuna ethnic groups stand out for their amount, and in the cities close to the capital, the Saterê-Mawé and Mura ethnicities are predominant. In Roraima in the cities of Amajari, Pacaraima, and Uiramutã, there are five ethnic groups: Macuxi, Patamona, Sapara, Taurepã, and Wapichana. Among these, the Macuxi stand out for the number of native people.⁶⁰ However, in its missionary efforts, amidst this great ethnic and cultural diversity in its territory, the AAmaR continues to break barriers in order to spread the Gospel.

In this regard, the AAmaR plans to open a new administrative headquarters in the state of Roraima. On August 20, 2015, the land was purchased on one of the main avenues in Boa Vista. The church understands that, with this new administrative headquarters, the preaching of the Gospel in this region will be greatly enhanced. In addition to the new headquarters, the field intends to organize specific churches for the English, Hispanics, Haitians, and Indians in order to facilitate evangelization in their own language. Another important project for the future is the development of Bible studies in the following languages: Saterê Mauê, Taurepã, and Macuxi. The field also intends to establish a Espaço Novo Tempo [Hope Channel Space] in the largest churches in order to serve people who are studying the Bible with TV Novo Tempo [Hope Channel Brazil].⁶¹ In this way, the objective is to continue the permanent efforts done through 14 years of missionary vocation of the AAmaR, fulfilling the evangelic mission that has been granted to it by the SDA Church since its establishment.

Chronology of Administrative Leaders⁶²

Presidents: Moisés Batista (2006-2010); Alijofran Brandão (2010-2012); Wiglife Areosa Saraiva (2012-Present).

Secretaries: Alijofran Brandão (2006-2008); Waldemar Lauer (2008-2010); Wiglife Saraiva (2010-2012); Jessé Martins (2012-2015); José Hadson Gomes de Araújo (2015-2017); Wallace Esterci (2017-Present).

Treasurers: Jackson Douglas (2006-2007); José Domingos (2007-2016); João Pedreira (2016-Present).⁶³

Sources

“A capital mais evangelizada” [“The most evangelized capital”]. Revista Adventista, February 2014.

ACMS. Sistema Adventista de Gestão de Igrejas [Adventist Management System of Churches] (ACMS), information provided to Alberto Pereira September 26, 2016. https://www.acmsnet.org.

Amazonas-Roraima Conference Minutes, October 11, 2016, vote no. 2016-241.

Andrade, Isaías. “União Norte” [“North Brazil Union Conference”]. Revista Adventista 67, no. 5 (May 1972).

Ataíde, Alcino Luiz. “Isolamento” [“Isolation”]. Revista Adventista 84, no. 7 (July 1988).

Benchimol, Samuel. Amazônia: formação social e cultural [Amazon: social and cultural formation]. Manaus, AM: Valer, 2009.

“Buriti.” Portal São Francisco [São Francisco Website]. https://bit.ly/3anp50J.

“Caminhando para Trezentos” [“Walking to Three Hundred”]. Revista Adventista, December 1963.

“Campo Obtém Progresso Evangelístico” [“Field Makes Evangelistic Progress”]. Revista Adventista, January 1988.

Cândido, Francisco. “Boa Vista – 125 anos – Bairro São Pedro (antigo Bairro ‘Rói Couro’)” [“Boa Vista – 125 years – São Pedro neighborhood (former ‘Rói Couro’ neighborhood)”]. Folha BV news website (Online), June 30, 2015.

Case, Charles C. “Em Busca da Verdade” [“In Search of the Truth”]. Revista Adventista 53, no. 8 (August 1958).

Cavalcanti, Francisco Abdoval. A conquista de uma cidade: conheça a história da capital mais evangelizada do Brasil [The conquest of a city: discover the history of the most evangelized capital in Brazil]. Tatuí, SP: Brazil Publishing House, 2016.

Central Amazon Conference Secretariat. Information provided to Alberto Pereira, October 2016.

Colégio Adventista da Cidade Nova [Cidade Nova Adventist Academy]. https://cidadenv.educacaoadventista.org.br/.

Colégio Adventista Paul Bernard [Paul Bernard Adventist Academy]. https://paulbernard.educacaoadventista.org.br/.

Duarte, Nelson. “Uma Tocha na Amazônia” [“A Torch in the Amazon”]. Revista Adventista 69, no. 9 (September 1974).

Escola Adventista de Boa Vista [Boa Vista Adventist Academy]. https://boavista.educacaoadventista.org.br/

Escola Adventista de Itacoatiara [Itacoatiara Adventist Academy]. https://itacoatiara.educacaoadventista.org.br/.

Escola Adventista de Nova Olinda do Norte [Olinda do Norte Adventist Academy]. https://novaolinda.educacaoadventista.org.br/.

“Evangelizando Cidades Novas” [“Evangelizing New Cities”]. Revista Adventista, November 1976.

Ferreira, Orlando G. “O Evangelho na Integração Nacional” [“The Gospel in National Integration”]. Revista Adventista 65. no. 4 (April 1970).

Folha de Maues news website, Facebook post, January 12, 2018, https://www.facebook.com/.

Gomes, Fabrício, e Giovanna Bonilha. “Museu Centenário contará história pioneira do adventismo na Amazônia” [“Centenary Museum will tell the pioneering story of Adventism in the Amazon”]. Notícias Adventistas [Adventist News] (Online), May 6, 2015.

Human Resources Department of Amazonas-Roraima Conference. Information provided to Alberto Pereira September 26, 2016.

Instituto Adventista Agroindustrial [Adventist Agricultural-Industrial Academy]. https://iaai.educacaoadventista.org.br/.

Kettle, Loriza. Uma igreja na selva: a história sobre pioneirismo da Igreja Adventista no Amazonas [A church in the jungle: the story on the Adventist Church pioneerism in Amazonas]. Campinas, SP: Millennium Publishing House, 2016.

Lessa, Rubens. 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.

Londoño, Ernesto. “‘Their Country Is Being Invaded’: Exodus of Venezuelans Overwhelms Northern Brazil.” The New York Times (Online), April 28, 2018.

Medeiros, Mackison M. P. “A História Político-Administrativo de Maués-AM” [“The Political-Administrative History of Maués-AM”]. Web Artigos [Web Articles] (Online), April 10, 2010.

Ministério de Desbravadores e Aventureiros DSA [SAD Pathfinders and Adventurers Ministries]. https://clubes.adventistas.org/br/.

Novo Tempo [Hope Channel Brazil]. https://www.novotempo.com/.

Portal São Francisco [São Francisco Website]. https://www.portalsaofrancisco.com.br/.

“Presidiários são batizados em Boa Vista” [“Prisoners are baptized in Boa Vista”]. Revista Adventista, May 1996.

Rabin, Cláudio Goldberg. “Como a crise da Venezuela afeta o Brasil” [“How the Venezuelan crisis affects Brazil”]. Revista Veja [Veja Review] (Online), July 29, 2017.

Santana, Luciana. “Corrida contra o suicídio atrai 4.500 atletas e tem como patrono o maratonista Vanderlei Cordeiro” [“Marathon against suicide attracts 4,500 athletes and has the participation of the marathon runner Vanderlei Cordeiro”]. Notícias Adventistas [Adventist News] (Online), August 27, 2018.

Santana, Luciana. “Corrida pela valorização da vida reúne 1.330 crianças em Manaus” [“Marathon for the valorization of life brings together 1,330 children in Manaus”]. Notícias Adventistas [Adventist News] (Online), September 4, 2018.

Santana, Luciana. “Igrejas Adventistas na zona norte de Manaus inauguram 4 Espaços Novo Tempo e 1 Espacinho NT Kids” [“Adventist churches in northern Manaus inaugurate 4 New Time Spaces and 1 NT Kids Tiny Space”]. Notícias Adventistas [Adventist News] (Online), June 28, 2019.

Santos, Leônidas G. “Igreja triunfa em Boa Vista” [“Church triumphs in Boa Vista”]. Revista Adventista 71, no. 2 (February 1976).

Seventh-day Adventist Church (Brazil) website. http://www.adventistas.org/pt/.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association. Various years. https://www.adventistyearbook.org/.

Silva, Guilherme. “Nova luz” [“New light”]. Revista Adventista 106, no. 1239 (August 2011).

Silva, Sidney A. “Entre o caribe e a Amazônia: haitianos em Manaus e os desafios da inserção sociocultural” [“Between the Caribbean and the Amazon: Haitians in Manaus and the challenges of socio-cultural insertion”]. Scielo (Online), May 5, 2015.

Uol Notícias [Uol News website]. https://noticias.uol.com.br/.

Vinhote, Ton. “Maior Associação do mundo realiza seu último concílio” [“Largest Conference in the world holds its last meeting”]. Revista Adventista 100, no. 6 (June 2005).

Vinhote, Ton. “Nova Associação é inaugurada em Manaus” [“New Conference inaugurates in Manaus”]. Revista Adventista 101, no. 1 (January 2006).

Notes

1. Tom Vinhote, “Maior Associação do mundo realiza seu último concílio” [“Largest Conference in the world holds its last meeting”], Revista Adventista 101, no. 6 (June 2005): 25.↩

2. “Amazonas-Roraima Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 2018), 322.↩

3. Sistema Adventista de Gestão de Igrejas [Adventist Management System of Churches] (ACMS), information provided to Alberto Pereira September 26, 2016.↩

4. Colégio Adventista da Cidade Nova [Cidade Nova Adventist Academy], “Nossa Rede” [“Our Network”], accessed April 25, 2019, https://bit.ly/3akqZiE.↩

5. Colégio Adventista Paul Bernard [Paul Bernard Adventist Academy], “Nossa Rede” [“Our Network”], accessed April 25, 2019, https://bit.ly/3ahp9PL.↩

6. Escola Adventista de Itacoatiara [Itacoatiara Adventist Academy], “Nossa Rede” [“Our Network”], accessed April 25, 2019, https://bit.ly/2QGzYTu.↩

7. Escola Adventista de Nova Olinda do Norte [Olinda do Norte Adventist Academy], “Nossa Rede” [“Our Network”], accessed April 25, 2019, https://bit.ly/2Uht4GL.↩

8. Instituto Adventista Agroindustrial [Adventist Agricultural-Industrial Academy], “Nossa Rede” [“Our Network”], accessed April 25, 2019, https://bit.ly/3bpcJFs.↩

9. Escola Adventista de Boa Vista [Boa Vista Adventist Academy], “Nossa Rede” [“Our Network”], accessed April 25, 2019, https://bit.ly/3boNq6s.↩

10. Human Resources Department of Amazonas-Roraima Conference, information provided by the HR manager to Alberto Pereira, September 26, 2016.↩

11. 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: Brazilian Publishing House, 2016), 35; Francisco Abdoval Cavalcanti, A conquista de uma cidade: conheça a história da capital mais evangelizada do Brasil [The conquest of a city: discover the history of the most evangelized capital in Brazil], Tatuí, SP: Brazil Publishing House, 2016, 91.↩

12. Lessa, Construtores de esperança: na trilha dos pioneiros adventistas da Amazônia [Builders of Hope: on the trail of Adventist pioneers in the Amazon], 48; Loriza Kettle, Uma igreja na selva: a história sobre pioneirismo da Igreja Adventista no Amazonas [A church in the jungle: the story on the Adventist Church pioneerism in Amazonas], Campinas, SP: Millennium Publishing House, 2016, 12.↩

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

14. Mackison M. P. Medeiros, “A História Político-Administrativo de Maués-AM” [“The Political-Administrative History of Maués-AM”], Web Artigos [Web Articles], April 10, 2010, accessed July 31, 2019, https://bit.ly/2Yvdc25; Folha de Maues news website, Facebook post, January 12, 2018 (11:19), accessed July 31, 2019, https://bit.ly/2KjFd7B.↩

15. Lessa, Construtores de esperança: na trilha dos pioneiros adventistas da Amazônia [Builders of Hope: on the trail of Adventist pioneers in the Amazon], 68.↩

16. “Evangelizando Cidades Novas” [“Evangelizing New Cities”], Revista Adventista, November 1976, 9; Guilherme Silva, “Nova luz” [“New light”], Revista Adventista 106, no. 1239 (August 2011): 22, 23; “Central Amazon Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, DC: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1941), 189; Lessa, Construtores de esperança: na trilha dos pioneiros adventistas da Amazônia [Builders of Hope: on the trail of Adventist pioneers in the Amazon], 35-44; Cavalcanti, A conquista de uma cidade: conheça a história da capital mais evangelizada do Brasil [The conquest of a city: discover the history of the most evangelized capital in Brazil] 91.↩

17. Ibid.↩

18. Ibid., 70. (There is more than one reference in the note. Which one is on Page 70?)↩

19. “North Brazil Union Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D. C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1938), 182-183.↩

20. Lessa, Construtores de esperança: na trilha dos pioneiros adventistas da Amazônia [Builders of Hope: on the trail of Adventist pioneers in the Amazon], 35-44; Cavalcanti, A conquista de uma cidade: conheça a história da capital mais evangelizada do Brasil [The conquest of a city: discover the history of the most evangelized capital in Brazil] 91.↩

21. “Central Amazon Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1941), 189; Charles C. Case, “Em Busca da Verdade” [“In Search of the Truth”], Revista Adventista ,53, no. 8 (August 1958): 26.↩

22. Francisco Cândido, “Boa Vista – 125 anos – Bairro São Pedro (antigo Bairro ‘Rói Couro’)” [“Boa Vista – 125 years – São Pedro neighborhood (former ‘Rói Couro’ neighborhood)”], Folha BV news website, June 30, 2015, accessed March 24, 2020, https://bit.ly/33Htvgw.↩

23. “Buriti is a palm tree that reaches up to 35 meters in height. It has large, star-shaped leaves. It grows preferably in swampy lands. The flowers are arranged in long clusters of up to 3 meters in length and have a yellowish color, appearing from December to April. Its seed is oval and the almond is edible. The pulp is consumed in the form of sweets, ice cream, juice or buriti wine. The leaves are used in the manufacture of ropes, and the trunk is used for the production of canoes.” Portal São Francisco [São Francisco Website], “Buriti,” accessed November 9, 2018, https://bit.ly/3anp50J.↩

24. Charles C. Case, “Em Busca da Verdade” [“In Search of the Truth”], Revista Adventista 53, no. 8 (August 1958): 26.↩

25. “The Voice of Prophecy is the oldest evangelical program on Brazilian radio, starting in 1943. Since its beginning, it has had the musical participation of the Arautos do Rei [The Kings Heralds] quartet. Currently, the program has its version, also for TV, and is presented by Pastor Gilson Brito, who has been in the pastoral ministry for over 30 years. Biblical sermons that present the message of hope and salvation.” Novo Tempo [Hope Channel Brazil], “A Voz da Profecia” [“The Voice of Prophecy”], accessed January 28, 2020, https://bit.ly/2RzGrRh; “Caminhando para Trezentos” [“Walking to Three Hundred”], Revista Adventista, December 1963, 27.↩

26. Orlando G. Ferreira, “O Evangelho na Integração Nacional” [“The Gospel in National Integration”], Revista Adventista 65, no. 4 (April 1970): 19.↩

27. Nelson Duarte, “Uma Tocha na Amazônia” [“A Torch in the Amazon”], Revista Adventista 69, no. 9 (September 1974): 29.↩

28. Isaías Andrade, “União Norte” [“North Brazil Union Conference”], Revista Adventista 67, no. 5 (May 1972): 22.↩

29. Leônidas G. Santos, “Igreja triunfa em Boa Vista” [“Church triumphs in Boa Vista”], Revista Adventista 71, no. 2 (February 1976): 14.↩

30. “Campo Obtém Progresso Evangelístico” [“Field Makes Evangelistic Progress”], Revista Adventista, January 1988, 34.↩

31. Alcino Luiz Ataíde, “Isolamento” [“Isolation”], Revista Adventista 84, no. 7 (July 1988): 23.↩

32. “Presidiários são batizados em Boa Vista” [“Prisoners are baptized in Boa Vista”], Revista Adventista, May 1996, 26.↩

33. “Central Amazon Association,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2001), 267.↩

34. Tom Vinhote, “Maior Associação do mundo realiza seu último concílio” [“Largest Conference in the world holds its last meeting”], Revista Adventista 100, no. 6 (June 2005): 25; “A capital mais evangelizada” [“The most evangelized capital”], Revista Adventista, February 2014, 40; Information provided by the ACeAm secretary to Alberto Pereira, in October 2016.↩

35. Ton Vinhote, “Nova Associação é inaugurada em Manaus” [“New Conference inaugurates in Manaus”], Revista Adventista 101, no. 1 (January 2006): 31.↩

36. “Amazonas-Roraima Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Hagerstown, MD.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2007), 267; Vinhote, “Nova Associação é inaugurada em Manaus” [“New Conference inaugurates in Manaus], 31.↩

37. “Global Mission is a branch of the Adventist Mission front line, a department of the world Seventh-day Adventist headquarters. The projects of the Global Mission start as local initiatives. The Global Mission supports the front line ministry local initiatives in unreached areas [by the Adventist Church] and helps to integrate all church departments in this task.” Seventh-day Adventist Church (Brazil) website, “O que é Missão Global” [“What is Global Mission”], accessed February 4, 2020, http://bit.ly/35Wz9e0.↩

38. Secretariat of the Amazonas-Roraima Conference Education Department, WhatsApp message to Alberto Pereira, September 27, 2018.↩

39. Ibid.↩

40. Wiglife Areosa Saraiva (AAmaR president), interviewed by Alberto Pereira, Manaus, Amazonas, September 26, 2016.↩

41. “Northwest Brazil Union Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Hagerstown, MD.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2011), 298-301.↩

42. Amazonas-Roraima Conference Minutes, October 11, 2016, vote no. 2016-241; Wallace Barreto Esterci (AAmaR executive secretary), e-mail message to Alberto Pereira, September 26, 2018.↩

43. Wiglife Areosa Saraiva (AAmaR president), interviewed by Alberto Pereira, Manaus, Amazonas, September 26, 2016.↩

44. Marcus Frutuoso (district pastor in Torres Avenue), WhatsApp message to Alberto Pereira, September 28, 2018.↩

45. Secretariat of the Amazonas-Roraima Conference Education Department, WhatsApp message to Alberto Pereira, September 27, 2018.↩

46. Cláudia Ferreira (AAmaR secretary assistent), WhatsApp message to Alberto Pereira, September 28, 2018; Fabrício Gomes and Giovanna Bonilha, “Museu Centenário contará história pioneira do adventismo na Amazônia” [“Centenary Museum will tell the pioneering story of Adventism in the Amazon”], Notícias Adventistas [Adventist News], May 6, 2015, accessed August 1, 2019, https://bit.ly/2Ka2gmz.↩

47. Wiglife Areosa Saraiva (AAmaR president), interviewed by Alberto Pereira, Manaus, Amazonas, September 26, 2016.↩

48. “Breaking the Silence is an annual project, developed since 2002, by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in eight countries of South America (Argentina, Brazi, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay) that aims to educate and prevent against the domestic abuse and violence.” Seventh-day Adventist Church (Brazil) website, “Quebrando o Silêncio” [“Breaking the Silence”], accessed February 4, 2020, https://bit.ly/2WoDfIW.↩

49. Luciana Santana, “Corrida contra o suicídio atrai 4.500 atletas e tem como patrono o maratonista Vanderlei Cordeiro” [“Marathon against suicide attracts 4,500 athletes and Marathon against suicide attracts 4,500 athletes and has the participation of the marathon runner Vanderlei Cordeiro”], Notícias Adventistas [Adventist News], August 27, 2018, accessed March 16, 2020, https://bit.ly/3da9Z0x; Luciana Santana, “Corrida pela valorização da vida reúne 1.330 crianças em Manaus” [“Marathon for the valorization of life brings together 1,330 children in Manaus”], Notícias Adventistas [Adventist News], September 4, 2018, accessed March 16, 2020, https://bit.ly/2UiAacB.↩

50. Sidney A. Silva. “Entre o caribe e a Amazônia: haitianos em Manaus e os desafios da inserção sociocultural” [“Between the Caribbean and the Amazon: Haitians in Manaus and the challenges of socio-cultural insertion”], Scielo, May 5, 2015, accessed April 25, 2019, https://bit.ly/2ZrN4XA.↩

51. “Small Group is a weekly gathering of people who, under coordination of a leader, seek spiritual, relational and evangelistic growth, aiming at its multiplication.” Seventh-day Adventist Church (Brazil) website, “Pequenos Grupos” [“Small Groups”], accessed February 4, 2020, https://bit.ly/2NtcXj7.↩

52. Silva. “Entre o caribe e a Amazônia: haitianos em Manaus e os desafios da inserção sociocultural” [“Between the Caribbean and the Amazon: Haitians in Manaus and the challenges of socio-cultural insertion”], https://bit.ly/2ZrN4XA.↩

53. Ernesto Londoño, “‘Their Country Is Being Invaded’: Exodus of Venezuelans Overwhelms Northern Brazil,” The New York Times, April 28, 2018, accessed July 31, 2019, https://nyti.ms/2GWmNKp.↩

54. Cláudio Goldberg Rabin, “Como a crise da Venezuela afeta o Brasil” [“How the Venezuelan crisis affects Brazil”], Revista Veja [Veja Review], July 29, 2017, accessed April 1, 2019, https://bit.ly/2J3XirF.↩

55. Luciana Santana, “Igrejas Adventistas na zona norte de Manaus inauguram 4 Espaços Novo Tempo e 1 Espacinho NT Kids” [“Adventist churches in northern Manaus inaugurate 4 Hope Channel Spaces and 1 NT Kids Tiny Space”], Notícias Adventistas [Adventist News], June 28, 2019, accessed March 16, 2020, https://bit.ly/390zfmD.↩

56. The Pathfinders Club is made up of “boys and girls aged 10 to 15 years old, from different social classes, color, religion. They meet, in general, once a week to learn 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 a fire without matches.” Besides, they demonstrate “skill with discipline through drill commands and have their creativity awakened by manual arts. They also fight the use of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs.” Seventh-day Adventist Church (Brazil) website, “Quem somos” [“Who we are”], accessed February 4, 2020, http://bit.ly/2FDRqTh.↩

57. The Adventurers Club is a specific program for children from 6 to 9 years old, created by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, in 1972. At the meetings, children carry out activities with a focus on physical, mental and spiritual development. Seventh Day Adventist Church (Brazil) website, “Aventureiros” [“Adventurers”], accessed on February 4, 2020, https://www.adventistas.org/pt/aventureiros/sobre-nos/.↩

58. Ministério de Desbravadores e Aventureiros AAMAR [AAMAR Pathfinders and Adventurers Ministries], “Estatísticas - Associação Amazonas Roraima” [“Statistics - Amazonas-Roraima Conference”], accessed April 1, 2020, https://clubes.adventistas.org/br/unob/aamar/.↩

59. Samuel Benchimol, Amazônia: formação social e cultural [Amazon: social and cultural formation], Manaus, AM: Valer, 2009, 81, 153-155.↩

60. Uol Notícias [Uol News website], “Curiosidades do Censo sobre raça no Brasil” [“Census Curiosities on race in Brazil”], accessed July 30, 2019, https://bit.ly/2Znrpj0.↩

61. Wiglife Areosa Saraiva (AAmaR president), interviewed by Alberto Pereira, Manaus, Amazonas, September 26, 2016.↩

62. “Amazonas-Roraima Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2007), 267; Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Amazonas-Roraima Conference,” accessed March 24, 2020, https://bit.ly/3dp0lqR. For more details about all administrative leaders of AAmaR, see the SDA Yearbooks from 2007 to 2018.↩

63. For more information about the AAmaR, access their website at aamar.adventistas.org/ or their social media on Facebook: @AdventistasNoroeste; Twitter: @amazonasroraima; and Instagram: @advamazonasroraima.↩