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Power Point Presentation
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Sorocaba

 

 

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CHURCH IN SOROCABA
By John Pennisi
2008

The Nation of Brazil 

The largest country in South America and one of the largest of the world

• Population:  with over 190,000,000 people it is the fifth largest country in the world.
• Land area: the fifth largest in the world.  All of the states of the USA, excluding Alaska, could be placed inside Brazil.
• Economy: it has the tenth largest economy in the world.  Brazil is known for its coffee, but it manufactures everything including cars, airplanes, computers and all kinds of electronic devices.  Very many of its cars can run equally well on gasoline or alcohol, whichever you choose.    
• São Paulo city with over 20,000,000 people is one of the largest in the world huge,  modern skyscrapers.
• The city of Rio de Janeiro is one of the most beautiful and panoramic cities of world with outstanding views from Sugar Loaf Mountain and from the huge statute of Christ high on the top of Mt Corcovado.  It’s  beach, Copacabana, is world famous.

 The people and their religions

• The Portuguese discovered Brazil in 1500 and settled it.  Portuguese is the
  language of Brazil today.  Many of the people are descendants of the
  Portuguese, wear their names and have  their customs. 
• Many Brazilians are Indians, or of Indian descent.  When the Portuguese arrived, many tribes of Indians were spread all over Brazil.  Today some tribes still live in their ancient ways in the areas of the Amazon.  
• Brazil  is also a melting pot for many immigrants from Europe, Africa and Asia.  Large communities of  people from Italy, Germany and Japan live in areas of Brazil.  With 2.5 million Italians Brazil has the largest group of Italians out of Italy.  There are 1.5 million Japanese.  Slavery existed in Brazil as in the USA and was abolished in 1888.  Many people today are a mixture from all these countries and races, but on the whole there are probably more dark people in Brazil than in the USA.
• The Catholic Church is the largest church in Brazil.  About 74% of the people are Catholic. Brazil is the largest Catholic country in the world.  Fifty years ago about 90% of Brazilians were Catholics,  but now about 15.4% are Protestants, 1.3% are Spiritists, 0.3% follow African religions and about 7% have no religion.   There are 160,000 Jews and about 30,000 Muslims. 

 The political organization of Brazil 

• Brazil is a democratic country organized in a way very similar to the USA. 
• The federal government located in the beautiful city of Brasilia is divided into three parts like the USA: the president, congress and the judicial court, all under a constitution similar to that of the USA.  Congress has a house of representatives and also a senate.
• The country is divided like the USA into states.  There are 26 states and the federal district of Brasilia. 
• Each state has an elected governor and a state legislature.
• States are divided into counties and each county has a mayor and a city council elected by the people. 

 Some of the Holidays

• Brazilians are friendly, fun-loving people, and they enjoy their holidays.
• They celebrate Christmas and New Years  much like the USA.
• They celebrate their Independence Day from Portugal on September 7 and the proclamation of their republic on November 15. 
• November  2 is the day to remember those who have died.  They clean out their cemetery plots and place flowers on the graves. 
• October 12 is the day of the child, and it is a true holiday.
• The second Sunday in May is Mothers Day, and every restaurant in the country is full of people taking Mom out to eat.
• But the largest, most explosive holiday in Brazil is the Carnaval season. Carnaval is usually in February and always the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.  This is the day Catholics begin a fast called Lent, which lasts until Easter.  Beginning Friday evening before Carnaval the large cities have fantastically beautiful costume and float parades with contests to see who wins
  prizes.  This is especially true of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

The Church of Christ In Brazil

• Arlie and Alma Smith were the first missionaries to begin a lasting work in Brazil.  They began work in  São Paulo about 1955 starting a congregation in São Paulo, some of whose members are still with us.
• In 1961-62 a group of sixteen families arrived in São Paulo and established a number of congregations, not only in São Paulo but other cities as well.  Another group arrived in Belo Horizonte in 1967 where there are a number of congregations.  Other groups of missionaries came later to Rio, Salvador, Fortaleza, Recife, Curitiba, Florianopolis, Campo Grande, Manaus, Brasilia, Vitória, Natal and Cuiabá.
• We might roughly estimate that there are now over 7,000 members of the church in all Brazil worshipping in about 120 congregations.  Many of these have elders and deacons and own very nice buildings. 
• There are today at least four different schools of training in Brazil, three youth camps, and one children’s home with about 30 children.

The Church in Sorocaba

• José Machado was baptized in an evangelistic campaign in Sorocaba in 1973 preached by John Pennisi.   In later years other members of the church moved to Sorocaba from São Paulo and met in homes and schools.  The church in the nearby city of Itu where Allen Dutton and his family worked gave good  support. 
• In 1997 John and Catherine Pennisi who had worked in São Paulo from 1961 to 1978 moved to Sorocaba invited by the 20 members at that time.   In the last eleven years many members have moved away and fallen away.  Today there are 60 members.
• The congregation is now constructing its own building with much help from brethren in the USA.   We meet in the completed first floor.   The structure for three floors is in  place. 
• The church in Sorocaba began the church in the city of Tatuí in February, 2001.  This small group about an hour’s drive away has about 15 members.
• In 2004 Sorocaba helped to begin a new work in Salto de Pirapora, thirty minutes from Sorocaba.  It now  has about 15 members. 
• The city of Sorocaba has right at 600,000 inhabitants.  It is an industrial town near the huge metropolis of São Paulo.

  We pray for God’s richest blessings on you,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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