SÃO BORJA

Yesterday I wrote a blog, “Global Community,” that included comments about the PEACE plan of Rick Warren. I have experience that such a plan is effective and does work in other cultures.

When I was living and working in Brazil 25 years ago, the idea of “multi-ministerio” (Portuguese) was a concept that was just getting traction among Brazilian Baptists. The strategy was for the church to extend beyond worship and education, and be involved in meeting needs of the community such as job training, medical-dental clinics, nutrition, and sports.

The following is an article I wrote in 1983 about my experience with the Igreja Batista in the city of São Borja in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. Note that it was not an overnight success story. It involved many people over a period of time. The faces and lives of the Brazilians I mention in the article are still clear in my mind.

What do you give a city for its three hundredth birthday? Certainly a city of that age should have just about everything it could need or want. But for São Borja, a city of 80,000 people located in the southernmost state of Brazil, at least one thing was lacking as it prepared to celebrate first tricentennial---it had no Baptist church. The history of how so many Baptists have cooperated to give this city a Baptist church is a fascinating story.

Thirty years ago southern Baptist missionary Harley Smith began making regular visits to São Borja. He managed to baptize a group of people, but due to furlough and other circumstances, the group lacked leadership and soon withered away.

Then in 1976 a young railroad worker named Ezequiel Bravo moved to São Borja. This young man had been grounded in his faith through theological education by extension under the ministry of Southern Baptist missionary Pete Tcherneschoff.

Ezequiel began gathering children under a tree to teach them bible stories. Soon the kids began bringing their parents. Some time later Ezequiel contacted the Baptist state convention headquarters and said he had seven people converted, discipled, and ready to be baptized. Could someone help him?

On the day of the baptismal service, Ezequiel turned to Pastor Wilson Oliveira, the executive-secretary, and asked, “And what now?” Ralph Nelson, missionary of the North American Baptist General Conference, began commuting once a month to assist the new believers, but a permanent resident pastor was needed.

Consequently in late 1979 pastor Gastão Faria was appointed by the Brazilian Home Mission Board to serve as a missionary in São Borja. A joint agreement with the Brazilian Home Mission Board, the Baptist State Convention of Rio Grande do Sul, and the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention supplied the missionary’s salary and housing, rented a meeting place, and bought materials.

Other churches in the same association donated equipment. Southern Baptist missionary Craige Steele coordinated the work of a group of Texas Baptists who came to São Borja to do evangelistic work and help financially. Later the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering helped provide funds for the purchase of property and construction of the beautiful church facilities which were built this year.

When terrible flooding forced the evacuation of several thousand people from their homes in São Borja this winter, Southern Baptists aided with Hunger and Relief Funds. Six hundred families were assisted for three months by the distribution of food, medicine, and 2,500 blankets.

Living in a state with a population of only one Baptist per one thousand people, the residents of the city could hardly fathom why Southern Baptists in the United States would have such compassion.

I personally responded to the flabbergasted mayor, “They love you and want to help in the name of Jesus.” The town newspaper, as yet unaccustomed to our Baptist ways, headlined an article describing me as the “the bishop from the United States.”

Yet the amazing part of the birthday present of a Baptist church to this city is the story of the new births in Christ. A few years ago Neron de Souza drank heavily and even attacked his pregnant wife with a knife. Now he witnesses and preaches at one of the church’s preaching points located next to this house. He is a community leader and helped coordinate the flood relief program.

Pedro Durão is a mathematics teacher awaiting baptism, but he is already enrolled as one of the fourteen students in the theological education extension center located at the church.

Vitor Fernandes is a teenager who discovered that God could not only answer his prayer for a bicycle to help him witness across the city, but also give him a guitar to lead the music in his church youth group.

Osmar Espanivello was a drunk, pill-popping rabble rouser in trouble with the police, who was converted and joined the church in response to the prayers of his wife.

Rubens de Sousa is a young man who received Christ through the church’s youth ministry. He is now preparing for the ministry in our state Baptist seminary.

Vilmar Fernanades and his wife are fruits of the evangelistic work of the church. He serves as president of Baptist Men and she as church treasurer. Together with their small children they walk several miles to all the church activities.

At his job a fellow worker has frequently jeered Vilmar about his Christian commitment, claiming the church only wants his money. After the Southern Baptist relief money had received much media publicity in the city, Vilmar’s friend called him aside. “I owe you an apology,” he said, “your church really does care for people.”

These testimonies are only representative of the 75 people baptized in this growing young church. As a part of the church’s plan to reach all people groups and classes of the city, the church has a goal of 100 members at the end of 1983. In addition to its four preaching points, the church hopes to build and run a medical-dental clinic.

Because Baptists care, the city of São Borja celebrated its three hundredth birthday with the organization of a Baptist church that is clearly and convincingly proclaiming new birth in Jesus Christ.