How We Got Started: Brazil
The Birth of the Charis Alliance Movement in Brazil
The story of the Charis Alliance in Brazil begins in the late 1940s with a desire to take the gospel to other countries. After several mentions of Brazil as a potential mission field, Clarence L. Sickel was dispatched in 1948 to survey Brazil and assess its potential for a new mission. After his survey, our movement chose to send missionaries to the extreme northeast sector of the country since other missions agencies were already working in the southern, more densely populated regions. This laid the groundwork for our movement to grow throughout Brazil.
In 1949, Keith and Vivian Altig accepted the call to become the first Charis missionaries to Brazil. They had a pioneering spirit and immersed themselves in local communities, learning the language and culture. Just one year after their arrival on January 1, 1950, they held the first public service, marking the official planting of the first Charis Alliance church in Brazil.
Edward and Eileen Miller soon joined them, followed by additional missionary couples in the early 1950s. Together, they worked in Icoaraci, a small town near Belém, establishing a foundation that would grow and spread across the country.
The Growth of the Charis Movement in Brazil
With God’s guidance, the Charis missionaries chose strategic locations to plant churches, focusing on areas where they could engage with both urban and rural communities. As the number of missionaries increased, so did their reach. They established churches beyond Icoaraci, moving into cities like Macapá and Capanema. They even ventured into river regions in the Amazon!
These missionaries prioritized relationships with the local population, often using creative evangelism methods such as outdoor meetings, slideshows depicting Bible stories, and social gatherings. In the mid-1950s, they established Evangelical Schools, providing much-needed education while spreading the gospel. They also invested in training national leaders, empowering them to continue the work long after the missionaries left.
Today, the Charis Alliance in Brazil has grown to encompass 32 churches, 8 congregations, and 10 “Points of Light” across the country. The movement continues to extend into new regions, including the Southeast and Northeast, with plans to plant additional churches in the South.
A Call to Prayer and Support
As the Charis Alliance continues to thrive in Brazil, there remains a need for prayer and support from believers around the world. This growing network of churches is passionate about spreading the love of Christ and planting new churches, but they face challenges that require divine assistance and the support of fellow believers.
Pray for a deep, unwavering love for Christ’s cause among the believers of the Charis Alliance Brazil, that each one may live for the glory of God.
Pray that the Charis Alliance's message of interdependence—“Alone we can go faster; together we will go further"—resonates throughout Brazil.
Pray for the replication of strong leadership and the emergence of new, capable leaders to guide the future of the Charis Alliance in Brazil.
Your prayers and support are essential to the continued growth and success of the Charis Alliance in Brazil. Together, we can help this movement bring hope, faith, and transformation to communities across the nation.
