General Church and that has been the basis for all future development of the
New Church there.
In 1921 the Rev. and Mrs. E. E. Iungerich visited Brazil for seven-anda-half weeks. He preached, gave lectures, baptized many, and had an active
social life with church members and friends. By 1923 the Rio de Janeiro
congregation is listed as a congregation of the General Church, as it continues
today.
In 1940 the congregation was able to erect their church building in
downtown Rio. Bishop de Charms visited to dedicate it. This is the Fatima
congregation and the building is beautifully serviceable today.
The Revs. Leonardos and Lima provided weekly services, as they could
fit them in with their secular employment. In 1950 Rev. Leonardos died in
a car accident. As Rev. Lima became older he had to withdraw gradually but
continued translating until his death in 1965. Fortunately, in 1951 Mr. Jose
Lopes De Figueiredo was recognized as a candidate for ordination. He would
take up the torch from the founding pastors and serve many years. Bishop
Willard Pendleton ordained him during an episcopal visit in 1965.
In 1978, the newly ordained Rev. Andy Heilman learned Portuguese and
went to Brazil to assist the Rev. De Figueiredo and to train a newcomer for the
priesthood, Cristovao Nobre. The next year the Rev. De Figueiredo retired and
Andy assumed the pastorate there.
In 1983 Andy returned to the United States, but has maintained a
strong pastoral connection with the church there. Cristovao then took over
the pastorate. However, he has retired and following the noble tradition of
previous pastors is translating the Writings into Portuguese.
Andy once again has stepped in to give overall leadership and train others
for the ministry, visiting several times a year. His superb leadership has not
only been developing the church congregations, but training clergy who will
soon assume leadership roles from him.
Our Trip
We arrived on a Wednesday evening in Curitiba. The Rev. Andy Heilman
and the Rev. Eduardo Berith, with his wife, Patricia, met us and took us to
a traditional charrascaria restaurant for dinner. Curitiba is about two hours
flying time south of Rio de Janeiro. It has the feel of a European city, with
businesses, parks and universities.
We started there in order to ordain Eduardo into the second degree of the
ministry. Eduardo, about 50 years old, found the church 10 years ago and was
trained by Andy for the priesthood. He is in the early stages of developing a
congregation. He owns and operates a small art gallery, prominently displaying
a case with all the Writings translated into Portuguese.
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