Andrade, Geraldo Marques de (1927–2008)

Geraldo Marques de Andrade, pioneer canvasser, was born December 27, 1927, in the city of Carmo do Cajurú, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. His parents were Joaquim Marques de Morais and Maria Custódia de Andrade. After finishing elementary school in a public school, he continued his studies at Brazil College (now referred to as UNASP-SP) and in the Petrópolis Adventist Academy, though he did not finish high school. On September 17, 1950, he married Benedita de Jesus (1934-2014), who was born in the city of Betim, state of Minas Gerais. From this union were born: Nair, Maria Madalena, Geraldo, Maria Luiza, Marly, Josadac, Rosilene, Helder and Liliane Cristina.¹

Even though he had attended Adventist schools, Geraldo learned more about Adventism when a missionary named Catarina gave him Bible studies. He was baptized in 1959 by Pastor Raul Rocco in the Bias Fortes Adventist Church in the city of Belo Horizonte, state of Minas Gerais.² He worked a canvasser in the same state until the end of 1963 when he moved to the state of Espírito Santo. In 1966 he moved to the state of Rio de Janeiro, where he canvassed until 1969. During this period he created a method called “specialized canvassing” which he used in medium and large factories.³ In these work places he lectured about temperance and showed films such as “Um em Vinte Mil” (One in 20,000) and “O Tempo Aperta o Gatilho” (Time pulls the Trigger).⁴ Through his influence, his brother Sebastião Marques began to use the same methods⁵ which are now widely used in Brazil.⁶ Geraldo was the founder of the first two Pathfinder clubs in the state of Minas Gerais. The first one was in the church of Progresso, in the city of Belo Horizonte in 1970, and the second one was in the church of Concórdia in the same city in 1971.

Between 1976 and 1977 he went back to canvassing in the states of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro; but this time he also worked as an associate director in the old Rio-Minas Gerais Mission. Finally, in the period between 1978 and 1980, he concluded his mission as a canvasser in the state of Pernambuco, assisted by the Northeast Mission.⁷ In addition to these accomplishments, he also helped to found the Santa Efigênia Church in the city of Curitiba, in the state of Paraná.⁸ He was an avid promoter of the course “How to Stop Smoking in Five Days” and he participated in anti-drug campaigns.⁹

Geraldo Marques died in the city of Belo Horizonte in 2008, at age 80. His wife Benedita died on March 2, 2014, in the same city.¹⁰

Sources

Chaij, Nicolas, Métodos de Campeões, first edition. Santo André, SP: Casa Publicadora Brasileira, 1981.

“Geraldo Marques de Andrade.” Revista Adventista, year 103, no. 1205, October 2008, 38. Accessed August 8, 2016, http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/.

Notes

1. Geraldo Marques Filho (the son of Geraldo Marques), e-mail message to Mayla Graepp, August 16, 2016.↩

2. Ibid.↩

3. Ibid.↩

4. Nicolas Chaij, Métodos de Campeões (Santo André, SP: Casa Publicadora Brasileira, 1981), 117-126.↩

5. Ibid., 113-115.↩

6. Geraldo Marques Filho (the son of Geraldo Marques), e-mail message to Mayla Graepp, August 16, 2016.↩

7. Ibid.↩

8. “Geraldo Marques de Andrade,” Revista Adventista, year 103, no. 1205, October 2008, 38.↩

9. Geraldo Marques Filho (the son of Geraldo Marques), e-mail message to Mayla Graepp, August 16, 2016.↩

10. Ibid.↩