Central Amazon Conference

The Central Amazon Conference (Associação Central Amazonas or ACeAm) 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 Central Amazon Conference’s headquarters is located on Professor Marciano Armond St., no. 446, in ZIP 69057-030 in the Adrianópolis neighborhood in the city of Manaus in the state of Amazonas, Brazil.

The Central Amazon mission field comprises the regions south, central-south, central-west and west of Manaus and all the Amazon state west reaching the border of Brazil with countries as Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela. The estimated population in its territory is about 1,867,670 inhabitants¹ of whom 49,101 are Adventists. The average is about one Adventist per 38 inhabitants. There are 48 pastoral districts with 211 churches and 176 small groups, making a total of 387 congregations² in the Conference territory. In addition, the Central Amazon Conference manages seven school units of the Adventist Educational Network operating in Manaus: Manaus Adventist Institute with 841 students; Manaus Adventist School with 736 students; Liberdade Adventist School with 336 students; São Jorge Adventist School with 477 students; Alvorada Adventist Academy with 1,005 students; Santo Antônio Adventist School with 170 students; and the Japiim Adventist School, with 185 students. Altogether, there are 3,750 students served by the seven unities.³

The Manaus Adventist Hospital is located in the territory of the Central Amazon Conference having 89 hospitalization beds (apartments/infirmary ward/adult and children ICU) and 25 emergency care beds plus and a Day Clinic. Although this medical missionary institution is directly managed by the Northwest Brazil Union Mission, it receives total support from leaders and church members of the Central Amazon Conference.

In order to meet the Church demands in the Conference territory, the Church has a total of 496 staff members. From this staff, 55 are pastors (credentialed/licensed workers); 32 employees, seven biblical workers, 12 assigned on special projects, nine canvassing workers and one canvassing worker assistant. In addition, the Conference counts on one person in the “Amazônia de Esperança” [“The Hope for Amazon Project”],⁴ two people in the One Year in Mission or OYIM Project⁵, and five people in the Health and Publishing Ministry (Serviço Educacional Lar e Saúde or SELS). At the Church administration, there is a staff of 37; at the Central Amazon Headquarters, there are 24 employees; and at the schools, 311 employees.⁶

The Origin of the Adventist Work in the Conference Territory

The coming of the Adventist message in the Northern part of Brazil was an enormous challenge. However, such obstacles didn't prevent the reaching of the Adventist message to many people at the very beginning of the 20^th century. The first records of Adventism in the Amazon state date from 1918, when an elder, a former deacon of a traditional Protestant church, wrote a letter to canvasser⁷ and minister Ricardo Wilfart, who used to live in Pernambuco, a state in northeast Brazil, asking him for guidance as to where to give the tithe. Pastor Wilfart was surprised by the letter, for that until that moment, no Adventist missionary had gone in that region.⁸ Later it was discovered that an Adventist lady, who lived in Recife, in the state of Pernambuco, gave to the former deacon Adventist literature when he visited Recife. The man reluctantly accepted the gift but promised he would study it carefully with his wife. When they returned to the Amazon state, they studied the book and found many unknown truths. Once they got in contact with Pastor Wilfart, they started exchanging letters with him. Pastor Wilfart encouraged them to continue studying the Bible and answered their questions about the Adventist teachings. As well as giving tithe, the couple ordered more books to hand out to their acquaintances since they decided to share that new message even if that meant their exclusion from their former religious community, as it ended up happening. The couple steadily grew in faith and ensured that their actions were in accordance with the Word of God.⁹

From that moment on, there are other records that show the growth of Adventism in the region at the beginning of the 20^th century. The first Sabbath School meeting and the first organized Adventist congregation happened in Maués, nearly 20 km from the capital. There, later on, the first Amazon Adventist School was established. In 1927, Pastor John L. Brown recorded his trip with other Adventist workers to the Amazon state. Along the journey, Pastor Brown met Salomão Levy and gave him a brochure. Levy shared the brochure with a friend, farmer José Batista Michiles. Pastor Brown promised Levy to return within a year and share more about the Adventist faith.¹⁰ He kept his promise and traveled back again to Manaus the following year, now accompanied by Pastor Elmer H. Wilcox, who was president of the East Brazil Union Mission (presently the Southeast Brazil Union Conference). Wilcox expressed a desire for creating an administrative facility on Lower Amazon Mission. After leaving Manaus, the pastors dropped by Maués, where they met Levy and his friend José Batista Michiles who also became interested in the Adventist message. The farm where they were was called Centenário [Centenary], and it became the first place where a Sabbath School was established, and where later on, an Academy was established.¹¹ The farmer's family received the three of them cheerfully, inviting their neighbors to watch the worship services conducted by the pastors who were evangelizing the Manaus area. Therefore, 50 people heard the Adventist message. The first baptisms were for José Batista Michiles, his father, and their neighbors Marcos and Licínia Viana and Edwirges.¹²

At the end of 1928, Pastor Brown was relocated to the South American Division due to health problems, and he was replaced by Pastor Leo Halliwell who, in his missionary activities, was supported by his wife, nurse Jessie Halliwell. In such context, the new pastor became president of Lower Amazon Mission [presently the North Para Conference] located in Belém.¹³ With a territory that was hard to access due to the enormous Amazon Rainforest, the easiest way to travel was by aquatic transport. For this reason, on July 4, 1931, under the leadership of the Halliwells, the Light Bearer Medic Missionary Launch I was inaugurated. From that moment on, Adventism on the Amazon grew exponentially--so much so that, later, they built another Launch, the Light Bearer Medic Missionary Launch II. With the operation of the Launch in the Amazon state, more than 100,000 people were reached.¹⁴ By 1959, with more than 250,000 kilometers covered by the Amazon River and its affluent, the couple was honored with the Medalha Nacional do Cruzeiro do Sul [Southern Cross National Medal].¹⁵

Reports show that the formation and growth of the missionary bases along the Amazon happened as the passage of the cities Belém-Manaus was the main route of the Light Bearer Medic Missionary Launch in the decade of 1930s, the president of the Lower Amazon Mission made a series of evangelistic programs at Manaus. ¹⁶ As a result of this work, numerous people were baptized.¹⁷ From the first attended places, the Adventist work expanded to other areas that brought up 300 baptisms in 1940. The organization of the first congregation of Manaus (Central Manaus Adventist Church) happened in 1938. A group of about 40 people used to meet near the Matriz Square in the downtown area.¹⁸ From that group came missionaries who founded the other existing congregations in the city, which later emerged.

Conference Organizational History

The perseverant advancement of the Adventist work in the north part of Brazil, in 1936, led to the organization of the North Brazil Union Mission (União Norte Brasileira or UNB) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. This Union had the goal of assisting the missionaries’ demands in the states of Ceará, Piauí, Maranhão, Pará, Amazon, and some territories of Acre, Rondônia, Roraima, and Amapá, covering more than 4,300,000 km². At that time, the Lower Amazon Mission was part of North Brazil Union Mission area.¹⁹ Ten years later, the North Coast Mission was formed with its headquarters in the state of Ceará, with the responsibility of preaching the Gospel in the states of Piauí, Maranhão, and Ceará. By 1939, through a vote of 6040, the South American Division authorized a creation of new administrative headquarters in the Amazon state. In 1940, the Central Amazon Mission (Missão Central da Amazônia or MCA) was established with its headquarters in Manaus, precisely on Oswaldo Cruz Square, nº 139, known as Matriz Square. Its missionary territory included the states of Amazon and Acre.²⁰

The MCA started with 54 members distributed on two churches: Fazenda Centenário [Centenary Farm] in Maués, and the Central of Manaus in the capital state. At the beginning, the Mission was led by Pastor F. C. Prichard. Besides him, A. Carvalho was the only licensed worker at the new organization. It was a limited beginning since the challenged of that period was to evangelize a population of around 1,000,000 people in an area covered by jungles where some places were only accessible by boats.²¹Notwithstanding, with a new Adventist Church administrative headquarters responsible for the whole Amazonas state and the Acre state, more evangelistic actions were designed to reach that area. Highlighting that at those times, the Amazonas state covered the current state of Roraima²² and part of the Rondônia state.²³

After 1945, the headquarters of the MCA started to operate on Tapajós Street, no 840, next to the corner of Silva Ramos Street since the first installations of the MCA were improvised.²⁴ On October 12, 1946, the building of the Central Adventist Church of Manus was inaugurated on Sete de Setembro Avenue, no 1887. At the back of the new building, two classrooms were build, the first ones to be used in the Escola Sete de Setembro [The September Seventh Adventist School] that later would be called Escola Adventista de Manaus (EAM) [Manaus Adventist School]. Thus, Adventism was definitely consolidated in the capital state of Amazon.²⁵

Later, in the 1950’s, the MCA went through a property expansion. It was built a two-floor building at the back of the Central Church building. On the second floor, they made four rooms that were used as the office of the Mission. From that moment on, the administrative work became more appropriated.²⁶ Still on its patrimonial growth, in 1956, the Mission area counted on eight masonry churches, three wooden churches, and one floating church. The MCA also built two masonry houses for teachers and one masonry house for a pastor. Furthermore, there were three wooden school facilities and one masonry building.²⁷

By the second half of the 1950’s decade, the number of members in the MCA had grown. Around 748 people were baptized between the years of 1955 and 1959, and that provided the creation of 11 official new churches through the decade. When this progress happened, they could reach more people, so the church promoted missionary activities with their youth by promoting the first youth camporee in 1955. In these events, a group of 80 young people attended, representing 10 percent of the MCA’s church members.²⁸

By that time, the Central Amazon Conference established the project of Ingathering, and its goal was to raise resources for families of low income that live in the Amazon territory. In the first semester of 1961, the Mission received the biggest offer of the whole story. Pastors Gutierrez and R. Taylor met the governor of the state in order to share the positive results and thank him for the support. After presenting a record of the Adventist Church’s achievements through the medic missionary work (that had already attended 20,000 people by the time), being part of it as a result of the invested raised money from the Ingathering, the governor was astonished and willing to help the Church even more to grow the Church work.²⁹ One of the first relevant achievements of that time was the purchase of a hydroplane that was destined to support the work of the boats at the Amazon area. With this new air transport, it was possible to take supplies and rescue patients needing emergency care.³⁰

Some years later, in January 1964, the MCA received a donation of land located 70 kilometers away from Manaus. Some months later, a local road was created that represented a first step to the establishment of an Adventist educational institution in that area. Two years later (1966), the Adventist Agricultural School held its first classes, and later became the present Adventist Agricultural-Industrial Academy (Instituto Adventista Agro-Industrial or IAAI). In 2010, its influence in society was recognized when it was rated among the 20th best schools of the Amazon. Currently, the Adventist Agricultural-Industrial Academy represents an important milestone for Adventist education in the Amazon territory.³¹

With the work development in the MCA area, new demands started to appear. The September Seventh Adventist School grew significantly, making it impossible to have just one space for all the churches’ demands, including office, school, and SELS. In response to this necessity, the Mission decided to buy land besides the Adventist Church of Cachoeirinha on Belém Street in Manaus. After that acquisition, some adjustments were made to the already existent building in order to improve it and the work conditions there. Currently, the Adventist Academy of Manaus (Instituto Adventista de Manaus or IAM) operates there. ³² In this expansion rhythm, the health area gained emphasis as a persistent work of the Light Bearer Medic Missionary Launch and with the implementation of the Manaus Adventist Clinic. This new institution was inaugurated in Abril 25, 1978. ³³ After consecutive ampliations, the Clinic changed its name to Manaus Adventist Hospital (Hospital Adventista de Manaus or HAM).

Over time, the MCA grew in membership numbers and educational institutions to the point that, in 1979, a reorganization of the field was necessary. With the membership growing so much, the demand of locomotion through the large territory had increased, and an administrative answer was needed. ³⁴ This way, the West Amazon Mission was created, and at the beginning, it was responsible for 5,000Adventist members in the states of Acre and Rondônia, former parts of the Central Amazon Mission area. Later, this unit changed its name to the West Amazon Conference (Associação Amazônia Ocidental or AAmO). ³⁵ The MCA started to lead the Amazon and Roraima state churches, having 1,307,100, 26 churches and 11,836 members.³⁶

By the 1980’s, the Central Amazon Mission created a territorial membership expansion with the Maranatha project’s support.³⁷ At the same time, they acquired new lands in Manaus to build new temples.³⁸ In 1982, a camp meeting in an improvised facility was conducted where more than 3,000 people participated. In that year, there was one Adventist per 104 inhabitants. There were 30 congregations, and the next three years, the goal was to reach out 45 churches. Between July 21 and 24, 1982, the 8^th Central Amazon Mission Triennial Assembly took place where new leaders were elected. Following its growth plan, by the year of 1983, there were 19 pastoral districts, 10 of them in Manaus besides 35 congregations.³⁹

By 1986, the Central Amazon Mission Adventist field realized another dream. After the IX Mission Triennial Assembly that happened within August 21 and 23, the permanent headquarters were inaugurated on Belém Street. The new building was made in an area of around 1,000 square meters in the Adrianópolis neighborhood, with two floors, around 30 rooms, a chapel with the capacity for 80 people, one SELS store, and two other apartments. This event was a remarkable moment since it was an old dream of the administration.⁴⁰

With persistent growth of the Adventist work at the MCA area and considering its administrative consolidation, the South American Division authorized the North Brazil Union Mission to change the Mission status in 1998. By votes of 97-292 of the South American Division⁴¹ and 98-167 of the North Brazil Union Mission⁴², this administrative unit started to be called Central Amazon Conference (Associação Central Amazonas or ACeAm). This achievement was celebrated from November 25 until the 28th during the occasion of the 13ª Assembly, which was called the “Triennial of Gratitude” as it was recognized that this new step was important to the growth of the missionary work in the Amazon territory. The first administrative leaders after the status change were: Antônio Moisés de Almeida, president; Lourival Gomes, secretary; and Elcias Camargo, treasurer.⁴³

However, even after the status change, the Mission kept facing the same transportation challenges necessary to support its big territory. In 2005, the Central Amazon Conference was already the biggest Adventist Church Mission in the world, with 649 congregations and 130,243 members distributed throughout 43 pastoral districts. In this scenario, the Mission leaders realized that a new configuration was needed.⁴⁴ With this purpose, on April, 2005, a pastoral council happened in Manaus, and at the end of it, there was the launch of the foundation stone of a new administrative unit, the Amazonas-Roraima Conference (Associação Amazonas Roraima or AAmaR), was established in the next year. This new area was responsible for the Adventist work in the states of Roraima, southeast of the Amazon state, and the North part of Manaus. With the new Conference establishment, this Conference started to lead 119 churches, 129 small groups, and 55,873 members supported by 19 pastoral districts. In the meantime, the Central Amazon Conference led 179 churches, 222 small groups, and 74,370 members supported by 24 pastoral districts. ⁴⁵ With the creation of the Amazonas-Roraima Conference, Manaus became the only North Region capital to host two conferences, and the new administrative configuration was only to benefit the Gospel spreading.

By 2008, the South American Division forwarded to the General Conference expansion research from the North Brazil Union Mission suggesting the creation of a new union. The justification was the wide extension of the North Brazil Union Mission, the number of inhabitants, the transportation challenge, and the limitation to support for the churches and institutions. Besides that, the SDA Church discussed the rise of new congregations as well as initiatives to reach up non-religious people in a more efficient way. ⁴⁶ With the General Conference’s approval, the Northwest Brazil Union Mission (União Noroeste Brasileira or UNoB) was created, and it began to operate on January 1, 2010. The conferences that became part of the Northwest Brazil Union Mission were the Amazonas-Roraima Conference (Associação Amazonas Roraima or AAmar), the Central Amazon Conference (Associação Central Amazonas or ACeAm), the West Amazon Conference (Associação Amazônia Ocidental or AAmO) and the South Rondônia Conference (Associação Sul de Rondônia or ASuR). The new unit of the Union was established in Manaus as well as the Manaus Adventist Hospital and the other church institutions, which were operating in the territory, began to be administered by the Northwest Brazil Union Mission. By that time, the number of members in the newly created Union was about 135,228 people distributed through 617 churches and 464 groups. ⁴⁷

Under the leadership of the UNoB, the ACeAm implemented personalized evangelistic programs, aiming to grow the Adventist Church on the Amazon by reaching people in accordance to each social and ethnical realities.⁴⁸ One of these projects is the Manaus Jewish Adventist Community that started in 2010.⁴⁹ Also highlighted was the Alpha Space, an Urban Influence Center⁵⁰ in the Ponta Negra neighborhood in Manaus. Since June 2011, the group developed work based on small groups.⁵¹ This project came up from a 40-person community that wanted to reach out to an upper economic class. In five years, about 150 people were baptized.⁵² Currently, 289 members of the Alpha Space work on the construction of an Influence Center in the business area in the Alphaville neighborhood in Manaus. The community has continuous discipleship program and many ministries guided by the different gifts of each Christian as well as pastoring small groups and social projects for health and family.

Beyond those projects, the Central Amazon Conference leads a project for the Haitian community. Due to the earthquake in Haiti in January 12, 2010, many Haitians moved to Manaus.⁵³ In 2012, an Adventist pastor started a project to support and evangelize this group of people who had just arrived in Brazil. The first meeting took place on October 20, 2012, where five people participated. Nowadays, the Haitian community has 70 regular members and keeps the same goal: to bring hope and spread the Gospel of the second coming of Jesus Christ to their compatriots.⁵⁴ This and other projects that are targeted to specific groups of people show that the interest of sharing the Advent message extends to all possible groups.

Another important Project implemented by the Central Amazon Conference is called “Hope for Amazon.” The Northwest Brazil Union Mission is part of a Global Mission initiative, ⁵⁵ and its aim is to take the Adventist message to all neighborhoods, cities in the countryside, and to 10,000 riverside communities scattered by the state. This project counts with the support of the Maranatha Organization and, by 2018, this partnership contributed to an installation of more than 22 churches in the riverside communities. The Light Bearer Medic Missionary Launch made a way into the communities through the medic missionary ministry; the Church that Navigates participated of a harvest evangelism; the youth joined the projects One Year in Mission and the Caleb Mission⁵⁶ besides other social actions and Bible studies promoted to spread the Gospel to more people.⁵⁷

Although these missionary achievements are impressive, for a long period, the Central Amazon Conference leaders planned on extending the Adventist work even more in Manaus. Since the 1980’s, the administrators of that area dreamed of implementing one Adventist church in each neighborhood of Manaus. However, the lack of resources has been the main challenge.⁵⁸ In 1990, the Mission still registered 16 neighborhoods without an Adventist church.⁵⁹ The leadership, pastor, and church members worked hard on that purpose and, by 2013, there was only Adrianópolis neighborhood without an Adventist church building. This was a middle/upper class neighborhood with its own peculiar challenges.

Therefore, the pastor of Cachoeirinha Adventist Church, alongside with the church members, created a center to a start a congregation in that neighborhood. The first meetings were held in a hotel in that neighborhood. Later on, due to the increase of people in the meetings, they moved to the Manauara Shopping Center. Thus, Manaus became the first capital of the world to have Adventist temples in every single neighborhood and to have the first congregation in a mall. Currently, the Adventist Church has a temple in the Adrianópolis neighborhood with the capacity to hold up to 600 people. The principal aim of this community is discipleship.⁶⁰

Besides celebrating the achievement of having a church per neighborhood, between October 20 and 22, 2016, the Adventist Church of Manaus celebrated a very special anniversary, that of 70 years of the Church in the city. The festivities happened at Ponta Negra Beach where the “Church that Navigates” was launched. ⁶¹ This project was sponsored by Sabbath School missionary donation resources of all the world plus the resources of the Central Amazon Conference, Amazonas-Roraima Conference, and Northwest Brazil Union Mission that were destined to maintain the social and missionary needs of the Amazon River basin riverside communities. So, the riverside communities started to have the opportunity to worship and know God on this boat.⁶²

However, although these missionary initiatives brought good results, challenges still exist. The Central Amazon Conference works in a geographic area that corresponds to 14 percent of the national Brazilian territory, and that makes the mission of spreading the Gospel a huge challenge. This area is considered the 10/40 “Brazilian window” ⁶³ because there are still some locations without any contact with the Adventist Church. Besides that, cultural overview is very diverse. In this area. there are more than 117 ethnic groups and more than 10,000 communities with no Christian presence.

For the few next years, the Central Amazon Conference has its focus on strengthening the five spiritual aims of a discipleship church. The first aim will be strengthening of the communion and the daily Sabbath School study; the second is to increase the number of systematic tithes and offering-givers up to 20 percent; the third is to fortify the members relationship to one another, rising in 40 percent the amount of small groups; the fourth aim has its focus on strengthening the mission, raising up the amount of missionary pairs that carry out the home to home discipleship; and finally, the fifth aim is the growth of 20 percent of the Central Amazon Conference through discipleship.

In addition, the Central Amazon Conference intends to establish 80 churches along the Amazon countryside, raising the number of Adventist neighborhoods in small and less evangelized towns and riverside communities. The Conference intends to renovate 20 temples, making them more comfortable and modern. In the educational arena, the administration will invest on three actions: (1) Build a new Manaus Adventist Academy (Instituto Adventista de Manaus or IAM); (2) Increase the number of students in the September Seventh School by 20 percent; and (3) Build an Adventist school in a riverside community in partnership with ADRA Amazon to support those families for free.

With its focus on evangelism and discipleship, the leaders and members in the Central Amazon Conference strongly believe that “we have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.” This way, the Conference will carry on the great mission to “go you therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” until the coming of Jesus.

Chronology of Administrative Executives⁶⁴

Presidents: F. C. Prichard (1940-1943); Leo B. Halliwell (1943-1946); Walter J. Streithorst (1946-1954); Walkírio S. Lima (1955-1960); Marcos E. Gutierrez (1960); Enéas Simon (1961-1963); Aldo D. Carvalho (1963-1968); João Isídio da Costa (1968-1972); Luís Fuckner (1972-1977); Osmar dos Reis (1977-1982); Adamor L. Pimenta (1982-1987); Eric P. Monnier (1987-1992); Newton B. de Oliveira (1993); Gilberto Batista de Oliveira (1994-1996); Antônio Moisés de Almeida (1996-2002); Lourival G. de Souza (2002-2004); Moisés B. de Souza (2004-2006); João Alves Peixoto (2006-2009); José A. Maciel Júnior (2009-2013); Sérgio Alves Caxeta (2013-2019); Waldony Fiuza (2019-present).

Secretaries: B. W. Steinweg (1943-1948); B. C. Kalbermatter (1948-1950); C. F. Fonseca (1950-1956); Osvaldo Silva (1956-1958); Pedro Gonzales (1958); B. R. Cavalheiro (1959-1960); Armando Madureira (1961); Pedro Gonzales (1961-1966); E. L. Gonzalez (1966-1969); D. D. Amorim (1969-1970); J. Silva (1972-1973); Salvador Conte (1974); Alair O. Freitas (1975-1977); Adamôr Lopes Pimenta (1977-1978); Hugo Geisse (1980-1983); Josias S. Fragoso (1984-1985); Jose de Garcia (1985-1986); Rui L. de Freitas (1986); Gilberto Oliveira (1987-1988); Orlando Gonzalez Pineda (1988); Rui L. de Freitas (1989-1991); Dimas Cavalar (1991-1995); Manoel Abdoral de Freitas Cintra (1995-1996);

Lourival Gomes (1997-2002); Elcias Camargo (2002); Wagner Augusto Vieira Aragão (2003-2004); Renato Pereira da Costa (2004-2007); Leonino B. Santiago (2007); Jose A. Maciel Junior (2008-2009); Marcelo Nunes Miranda (2009-2015); Joao Luiz Marcon (2015-2017); Guilherme Sergio P. Chateaubriand (2017-2018); Hely C. P. Pacheco (2018-present).

Treasurers: B. W. Steinweg (1943-1948); B. C. Kalbermatter (1948-1950); C. F. Fonseca (1950-1956); Osvaldo Silva (1956-1958); Pedro Gonzales (1958); B. R. Cavalheiro (1959-1960); Armando Madureira (1961); Pedro Gonzales (1961-1966); E. L. Gonzalez (1966-1969); D.D. Amorim (1969-1970); J. Silva (1972-1973); Salvador Conte (1974); Alair O. Freitas (1975-1977); Adamôr Lopes Pimenta (1977-1978); Hugo Geisse (1980-1983); Josias S. Fragoso (1984-1986); Rui L. de Freitas (1986-1991); Dimas Cavalar (1991-1995);

Elcias Camargo (1995-2002); Gideon Oliveira Basilio (2003-2011); Dario Daniel dos Reis (2011-2014); Ilton Cesar Hubner (2014-2018); Vinicius Goncalves Miranda (2018-present).⁶⁵

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Urban Center Mission. https://missaourbana.org/.

Vinhote, Ton. “Maior Associação do mundo realiza seu último concílio” [“World Biggest Conference makes its last Meeting”]. Revista Adventista 100, no. 6, year 100 (June, 2005).

Virmes, Tatiane. “A igreja que navega” [“The Church that Navigates”]. Revista Adventista (Online), July 25, 2017.

“Vinte e Nove Congregações” [“Twenty-nine Congregations”]. Revista Adventista, November 1981.

Wilcox, E. H. “Work in the Amazonas Territory - no. 1.” ARH, August 21, 1930.

Wilcox, E. H. “Work in the Amazonas Territory - no. 2.” ARH, August 28, 1930.

Wilcox, E. H. “Work in the Amazonas Territory - no. 3.” ARH, September 4, 1930.

Wilfart, Ricardo. “Pernambuco - Uma porta aberta no Amazonas” [“Pernambuco - A Open Door into the Amazon”]. Revista Adventista 13, no. 1 (January 1918).

Notes

1. 2018 census of Brazil, Amazonas, estimated population, IBGE, accessed June 12, 2019, https://bit.ly/2AiYFfJ.↩

2. Adventist Church Management System (ACMS), information submitted by the registration office June 12, 2019.↩

3. Information submitted by the Central Amazon Conference Educational Department Office June 12, 2019.↩

4. “Through donations and offering, the Hope for Amazon Project has the aim of share the gospel to places not yet reached and with hard access, with proper temples for a true worship and praise.” Amazônia de Esperança [Hope for Amazon Project], “Resumo do Projeto” [“Project Summary”], accessed February 12, 2020, http://www.amazoniadeesperanca.org.br/.↩

5. “One Year in Mission – OYiM, promotes the opportunity for the Adventist youth on the mission of evangelism on urban centers throughout eight South American countries, uniting their talents, resources and professional knowledge with communities.’’ Seventh-day Adventist Church (Brazil) Website, “Um Ano Em Missão” [“One Year in Mission”], accessed February 4, 2020, https://bit.ly/2sCFyNL.↩

6. APS – Adventist Payroll System, accessed June 12, 2019.↩

7. 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, aiming to share with his fellow-men the eternal Gospel that brings salvation and physical and spiritual well-being.” Seventh-day Adventist Church (Brazil) Website, “Colportagem” [“Canvassing”], February 4, 2020, http://bit.ly/2J6tY1I↩

8. N. Z. Town, “A door opened by our literature in the Amazon country,” ARH 95, no. 25 (June 20, 1918): 2.↩

9. Ricardo Wilfart, “Pernambuco - Uma porta aberta no Amazonas” [“Pernambuco - A Open Door into the Amazon”], Revista Adventista 13, no. 1 (January, 1918): 12.↩

10. Guilherme Silva, “Nova luz: Trabalho assistencial com as lanchas Luzeiro supera crises e completa 80 anos na Amazônia” [“A New Light: assistance work with the light bearer medic missionary launch overcomes crises and celebrates 80 years in the Amazon”], Revista Adventista no. 1239, 106 year (August, 2011): 22-23. “Central Amazon Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1941), 189; 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, 44.↩

11. Jorge Pedrosa Guimarães, “Crescimento do Movimento Adventista na Missão Central Amazonas” [“The growing of the Adventist Movement in the Central Amazon Mission”], Monography, Brazil College, January 1988, 2; E. H. Wilcox, “Work in the Amazonas Territory - no. 1,” ARH 107, no. 45 (August 21, 1930): 19; E. H. Wilcox, “Work in the Amazonas Territory - no. 2,” ARH 107, no. 46 (August 28, 1930): 21-22; E. H. Wilcox, “Work in the Amazonas Territory - no. 3,” ARH 107, no. 47 (September 4, 1930): 25-26.↩

12. Lessa, Construtores de esperança: na trilha dos pioneiros adventistas da Amazônia [Builders of hope: on the trail of Adventist pioneers in the Amazon], 35; Francisco Abdoval Cavalcanti, A conquista de uma cidade: conheça a história da capital mais evangelizada do Brasil [The conquest of a city: know the history of the most evangelized capital of Brazil], Tatuí, SP: Brazil Publishing House, 2016, 91.↩

13. 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 history about the pioneerism of the SDA in Amazon], Campinas, SP: Millennium Publisher, 2016, 12.↩

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

15. Ibid., 70.↩

16. Floyd Greenleaf, Terra de Esperança: o crescimento da Igreja Adventista na América do Sul [A Land of Hope: The Growth of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in South America], Tatuí, SP: Brazil Publishing House, 2011, 354.↩

17. Ibid., 360.↩

18. Guimarães, “Crescimento do Movimento Adventista na Missão Central Amazonas” [“The growing of the Adventist Movement in the Central Amazon Mission”], 5.↩

19. Cavalcanti, A conquista de uma cidade: conheça a história da capital mais evangelizada do Brasil [The conquest of a city: know the history of the most evangelized capital of Brazil], 52; Lessa, Construtores de esperança: na trilha dos pioneiros adventistas da Amazônia [Builders of hope: on the trail of Adventist pioneers in the Amazon], 28, 98-100.↩

20. Guimarães, “Crescimento do Movimento Adventista na Missão Central Amazonas” [“The growing of the Adventist Movement in the Central Amazon Mission”], 11.↩

21. “Central Amazon Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1941), 189.↩

22. São Francisco Website, “Roraima,” accessed August 5, 2019, https://bit.ly/2YnaZuq.↩

23. InfoEscola, “História de Rondônia” [“The History of Rondônia”], accessed August 5, 2019, https://bit.ly/2KijYEL.↩

24. Guimarães, “Crescimento do Movimento Adventista na Missão Central Amazonas” [“The growing of the Adventist Movement in the Central Amazon Mission”], 12.↩

25. Cavalcanti, A conquista de uma cidade: conheça a história da capital mais evangelizada do Brasil [The conquest of a city: know the history of the most evangelized capital of Brazil], 53, 65-68, 74; Guimarães, “Crescimento do Movimento Adventista na Missão Central Amazonas” [“The growing of the Adventist Movement in the Central Amazon Mission”], 12-13.↩

26. “Central Amazon Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1951), 177; Guimarães, “Crescimento do Movimento Adventista na Missão Central Amazonas” [“The growing of the Adventist Movement in the Central Amazon Mission”], 12.↩

27. Guimarães, “Crescimento do Movimento Adventista na Missão Central Amazonas” [“The growing of the Adventist Movement in the Central Amazon Mission”], 8.↩

28. Ibid., 9.↩

29. R. W. Taylor, “Recolta” [“Ingathering”], Revista Adventista 56, no. 8 (August, 1961): 28.↩

30. Cavalcanti, A conquista de uma cidade: conheça a história da capital mais evangelizada do Brasil [The conquest of a city: know the history of the most evangelized capital of Brazil], 109.↩

31. Cavalcanti, A conquista de uma cidade: conheça a história da capital mais evangelizada do Brasil [The conquest of a city: know the history of the most evangelized capital of Brazil], 152, 153; National Center of Adventist Memory, Adventist Agricultural-Industrial Academy (IAAI), accessed February 12 of 2020, https://bit.ly/2SmvYJ7; “Adventist Agricultural-Industrial Academy,” Revista Adventista, June, 1979.↩

32. Guimarães, “Crescimento do Movimento Adventista na Missão Central Amazonas” [“The growing of the Adventist Movement in the Central Amazon Mission”], 14.↩

33. Cavalcanti, A conquista de uma cidade: conheça a história da capital mais evangelizada do Brasil [The conquest of a city: know the history of the most evangelized capital of Brazil], 181-183; Lessa, Construtores de esperança: na trilha dos pioneiros adventistas da Amazônia [Builders of hope: on the trail of Adventist pioneers in the Amazon], 131.↩

34. “Notícias da Missão Central-Amazonas” [“News about the Central Amazon Mission”], Revista Adventista, January, 1979.↩

35. Guimarães, “Crescimento do Movimento Adventista na Missão Central Amazonas” [“The growing of the Adventist Movement in the Central Amazon Mission”], 16; Lessa, Construtores de esperança: na trilha dos pioneiros adventistas da Amazônia [Builders of hope: on the trail of Adventist pioneers in the Amazon], 138.↩

36. “Central Amazon Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1981), 276.↩

37. “Maranatha is a support organization, non-profitable, that with the Seventh-day Adventist Church provides structures for worship and study.” Maranatha Voluntários Internacional [Maranatha International Volunteers], “Sobre nós” [“About Us”], accessed February 20, 2020, https://bit.ly/2ubQanM.↩

38. “Missão Central-Amazonas em Fase de Explosão” [“Central Amazon Mission in a fast-growing phase”], Revista Adventista, March 1981, 30.↩

39. “Ação e Expansão’’ [“Expansion and Action”], Revista Adventista, April 1983, 23; “Manaus. Destaques da Missão Central-Amazonas” [“Manaus. Highlights of the Central-Amazonas Mission”], Revista Adventista, September 1982, 28.↩

40. “Trienal e Inauguração’’ [“Triennial and Inauguration”], Revista Adventista, December 1986, 25; Guimarães, “Crescimento do Movimento Adventista na Missão Central Amazonas” [“The growing of the Adventist Movement in the Central Amazon Mission”], 16-17.↩

41. Rubens Lessa, “Ainda Existe uma Esperança” [“There is Still Hope”], Revista Adventista 94, no. 12 (December 1998): 10.↩

42. Seventh-day Adventist Church, North Brazil Union Mission directive commission record, November 18-19, 1998.↩

43. “Trienais” [“Triennials”], Revista Adventista, January 1999, 23.↩

44. Ton Vinhote, “Maior Associação do mundo realiza seu último concílio” [“World’s Biggest Conference makes its last Meeting”], Revista Adventista 100, no. 6 (June, 2005): 25; Seventh-day Adventist Church, Minutes of the North Brazil Union Mission Steering Committee, February 14, 2006.↩

45. Seventh-day Adventist Church, Minutes of the North Brazil Union Mission Steering Committee, July 6, 2004.↩

46. Lessa, Construtores de esperança: na trilha dos pioneiros adventistas da Amazônia [Builders of hope: on the trail of Adventist pioneers in the Amazon], 158-161.↩

47. Lessa, Construtores de esperança: na trilha dos pioneiros adventistas da Amazônia [Builders of hope: on the trail of Adventist pioneers in the Amazon], 158-161; Seventh-day Adventist Church, Minutes of the North Brazil Union Mission Steering Committee, February 14, 2006.↩

48. Minutes of the Central Amazon Conference, vote 2011-027, 10.↩

49. William Cardoso, interviewed by João Luiz Marcon, November 17, 2016.↩

50. “Urban holistic center help to meet the community needs. Ellen White predicted that those centers ministry would include lifestyle instructions, treatment centers, reading facilities, restaurants, speeches, healthy cooking classes […] Nowadays, those Urban Influence Centers can offer different services for different ministries, but it’s the same principle – connect to the need of people.” Missão Urbana [Urban Mission], “Centros de Influência” [“Urban Influence Centers”], accessed July 31, 2019, http://bit.ly/38U6V5P.↩

51. “The Small Group is a group of people who gather weekly under the coordination of a leader, searching at 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. Minutes of the Central Amazon Conference, vote 2011-081, 67; Ricardo Coelho, interviewed by João Luiz Marcon, November 17, 2016.↩

53. Globo.com, “Cobertura completa: terremoto no Haiti” [“Complete Cover: Haiti’s Earthquake”], accessed August 7, 2019, https://glo.bo/1mBveJX.↩

54. Minutes of the Central Amazon Conference, vote 2013-074, 47; Arole Joseph, interviewed by Hely Carlos Pantoja Pacheco, June 14, 2019.↩

55. “Global Mission is a branch of the Adventist Mission front line, a department of the world Seventh-day Adventist Church 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.↩

56. “Caleb Mission project is a volunteer program, social service, and a witnessing that challenges the Adventist youth to dedicate their vacations to evangelism in places where there’s no Adventist presence, to strengthen the small congregations and gain new people for the kingdom of God.” Seventh-day Adventist Church (Brazil) Website, “Missão Calebe 2020” [“Caleb Mission 2020”], accessed February 4, 2020, http://bit.ly/2HRpvRi.↩

57. Steering Committee of December 2010, vote 2010-179; Global Mission. Working program 2011-2015,

    According to the attachment 17 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Minutes of the Central Amazon Conference, 83; Francisco Gonçalves, interviewed by João Luiz Marcon, November 17, 2016; Francisco Abdoval Cavalcanti, Luzeiros [Light Bearers], Niterói, RJ: Ados Publisher, 2011.↩

58. “Vinte e Nove Congregações” [“Twenty-nine Congregations”], Revista Adventista, November 1981, 27.↩

59. “Estratégia Global entusiasma igrejas” [“Global strategy motivates churches”], Revista Adventista, June, 1990, 28.↩

60. Alan Johnys L. Santos, interviewed by João Luiz Marcon, November 17, 2016; Priscila Baracho, “Com inauguração, Manaus passa a ter templos adventistas em todos os bairros” [“With the inauguration, Manaus has now Adventist temples in all neighborhoods”], Adventist News (Online), July 23, 2019, accessed August 7, 2019, https://bit.ly/2K9OfnZ.↩

61. The Church that Navigates is a “floating temple intended to be used for supporting evangelistic activities in the Amazon coastal communities.” It is “projected to give evangelistic support in partnership with Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and the Light Bearer Missionary Launch.” Tatiane Virmes, “A igreja que navega” [“The Church that Navigates”], Revista Adventista, July 25, 2017, accessed February 12, 2020, https://bit.ly/2OPLBGR.↩

62. Wellington Barbosa, “Frutos da Amazônia” [“Amazon Results”], Revista Adventista 111, no. 1316 (December, 2016): 30; Fabrício Gomes, “Primeira Igreja Adventista de Manaus comemora 70 anos,” [“The First Church of Manaus celebrates the 70th Anniversary”], Adventist News (Online), October 27, 2016, accessed August 1, 2019, https://bit.ly/2LUnJCg.↩

63. “There are territories” where “people live in poverty, child malnutrition, low rate of literacy, hard climate conditions, mysticism, precarious roads and low access to information.” Heron Santana, “the 10/40 Brazilian window,” Revista Adventista 105, no. 1220 (January 2010): 25.↩

64. “Central Amazon Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1941), 189; “Central Amazon Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 2018), 249.↩

65. More information about the Central Amazon Conference can be found on their website at aceam.adventistas.org or on their social media at Facebook: Adventistas Amazonas; Twitter: @AdventistasAM; and Instagram: adventistasamazonas.↩