Though faithful missionaries have been traversing the waters of the Amazon River for decades to spread the gospel, the fruit of their labor exploded over the last few months. Comprising about 40 percent of Brazil’s total area, the Amazon Rainforest is the world’s richest and most varied biological reservoir, hosting several million species of flora and fauna. But what is happening in the Amazon right now is much more than what the natural eye can see.
Elderly locals testified of the times when faith dominated their riverside community. This was no longer the case—until a couple of months ago, when an unprecedented revival swept through the area. Many are accepting Jesus, and 14,500 people have been recorded as having been baptized in just six months last year. CBN News went to the Amazon and recorded this event.
From Few Workers to Mass Baptisms
Pastor Josué Bengtson, of the Igreja Quadrangular Sede (The Foursquare Church) in Pará, opened up about the difficulty of the start of his missionary work in the Amazon: “When we started evangelizing in this region, we only had a few workers, and in some towns, pastors had to walk 10 to 15 km to open a congregation. Today, almost every medium-sized church in the Amazon has a small boat,” he said. Bengtson helped to found one of the first Foursquare Churches in the Amazon. Today, there are 3,200 flourishing Foursquare Churches in the region.
In the first six months of 2024, Bengtson said, “We baptized 14,500 people. Our goal for this year is to baptize over 30,000 people.” Although the numbers are astounding on their own, this massive move of God in the Amazon is touching other individuals deeply as well.
“Now We Are Seeing the Fruits”
Among them is Esequiel Santo, who was just 15 years old when God called him to bring the Gospel to the unreached peoples of the Amazon. Santo spent 32 years as a missionary in the heart of the jungle. “One of the biggest challenges was the isolation and getting used to living among the indigenous or riverside communities,” Santo shared. He also said, “Sometimes it would take 35 days just to get to remote areas.” He continued, “But God was with us in the work, we saw lives being transformed, so many people heard the gospel, and now we are seeing the fruits.”
Furthermore, leading Brazilian sociologist José Eustaquio Alves shares the benefit of having long-term pastors or missionaries like Santo, who cultivate deep community, relationships, and growth. He went on to say, “I think that the revival that we have been waiting for here in Brazil is happening in the Amazon.”
The Amazon Is So Much More Than Rivers and Trees
Damares Regina Alves, a Brazilian senator and Pastor, recognizes the sequence of events in the Amazon to be a miracle that is not only transforming spiritual practices but also
building a stronger sense of community and empowerment. “For many years, people looked at the Amazon and only saw rivers and trees. Today, people are beginning to remember that there are people living there who need to be taken care of, need to hear the gospel, and whose lives need transformation. The church is making this revolution happen,” said Alves.
Stewarding Revival
Ministries out in the field and local missionaries are doing their best to sustain this powerful move of God. Among them is Rivers of Fire. Aiming for true discipleship and unity within the body of Christ, leader David Hodges (IPHC missionary) longs to see young people sustaining in the move of God throughout their generation. After the first Rivers of Fire back in 2022, local pastors have testified to lasting results within their churches.
Rivers of Fire barge ready to go down the Amazon
Meanwhile, churches in Brazil’s major cities are sending out volunteers on educational, humanitarian, and medical missions. These practical ways of outreach often help to introduce people to the Gospel message.
Faith for a True Culture Shift
The pastors, missionaries, and countless others working across this enormous area believe the shift is not merely a change in religious practice but that it is a movement poised to reshape the region’s spiritual and social landscape for generations to come.
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