Christian Congregation in Brazil | |
---|---|
Founder | Luigi Francescon |
Origin | 1910 Santo Antônio da Platina (PR) |
Congregations | 24.272 in Brazil (2021[1]) |
Members | 2.5 million (2000) 2.8 million (2016)[2] |
Official website | congregacaocristanobrasil.org.br |
The Christian Congregation in Brazil (Portuguese: Congregação Cristã no Brasil) was founded in Brazil by the Italian-American missionary Luigi Francescon (1866–1964), as part of the larger Christian Congregation movement. [3]
Louis Francescon came for the first time to Brazil from Chicago, Illinois in 1910. After arriving in São Paulo, Francescon went to Santo Antonio da Plantina, Paraná.[4] His eleven missionary trips were quite successful among fellow Italian immigrants and Brazilian nationals.
The Christian Congregation of Brazil is one of the most dynamic and it is fast-growing.[5] In 2016, the Christian Congregation in the Brazil had around 2.8 million members[6][7] in 2020 and 24,272 temples (2021) in that country and more than 50,000 temples in all world and an intense missionary work abroad. In the metro area of São Paulo, the church shows its strength: there are 500,000 followers, distributed in 2,000 churches and a mother-church in the Brás district that houses a 9,800 member congregation in the Brás district.
Francescon was among the early founders of the Italian-American Pentecostal church in Chicago. He had left the First Italian Presbyterian Church of Chicago because of his belief in Water Baptism by immersion. Later, he accepted the doctrines of anointing with oil, miracles, and Holy Spirit baptism at the North Avenue Full Gospel Mission led by William Howard Durham. Evangelists from Chicago went to the Italian colonies in the United States planting churches mostly in the Northeast. Most of those churches were incorporated into the Christian Church of North America, with a few affiliated with the Christian Congregation in the United States.
The beliefs of the Christian Congregation is summarized by Articles of Faith. The church believes in the Holy Trinity, the Bible, in divine interventions and miracles. Salvation is considered by faith in Jesus Christ.[8]
The 12 Articles of Faith also called "Points of Doctrine and Faith that were once given to the Saints" declares:[9]
Congregational worship is held at churches, and they hold two important services apart from the normal weekday services - Baptism, which is done once in a person's lifetime, and the Holy Supper, which is held at church once a year (or more, for those who missed the official day). Singing of hymns[10] are accompanied by an orchestra, somewhat similar to the Gospel Assembly Churches. During worship, men and women sit on opposite sides in the church. Men wear suits, and women wear long dresses with long sleeves or long skirts with long-sleeved blouses. During the service, women wear the Head covering for Christian women. The inscription "In the Name of the Lord Jesus" is written above the pulpit. Services are usually ministered by a cooperator, a deacon, or an elder from the ministry. Usually, in larger churches, there can also be a baptismal fount behind the pulpit for the occasional baptism services. The Christian has its doctrine fully based on the bible. The doctrine of Christian Congregation is supposed to help its members reach the ultimate goal. Eternal life in heaven.
The Christian Congregation in the Brazil has extremely strict internal regulations (compared to outward holiness) that range from dress codes to moral conduct, a doctrine similar to the Gospel Assembly Churches, Apostolic Pentecostals and Holiness Pentecostals. Women are prohibited from cutting their hair (even the ends), wearing makeup, lipstick, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, rings (except engagement and wedding rings), get tattoos, dyeing their hair, dyeing their nails, wearing pants, shorts, heels high, split skirts and sleeveless blouses. Women are also prohibited from shaving their bodies. Women wear the Head covering for Christian women. Men are prohibited from wearing shorts, get tattoos, sleeveless shirts, sunglasses, hats, chains, having long hair and beards. Just like women, men are prohibited from shaving their bodies. The Christian Congregation in the Brazil has some exclusive doctrines, being considered by other churches as a cult. Members are prohibited from visiting other churches, and have no fellowship with other churches. Baptism is completely exclusive to the church, as it is done "In The Name of Jesus" (following the practice of the Apostolic Pentecostals) and also "In The Name of The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit" (following the practice of the trinitarianism). The Christian Congregation in the Brazil performs the infant baptism, as long as the child speaks in tongues. They practice the rebaptism of people who came from other churches, as they consider it the only true and valid baptism in the Christian Congregation in the Brazil. Unlike other churches, the Christian Congregation in the Brazil holds Holy Supper once a year, serving wine to members in a single chalice. Members practice the kiss of peace. In the Christian Congregation in the Brazil, there are no pastors, as the church teaches that the chief shepherd is Jesus, therefore, the only positions are elder, deacon and cooperator (only men can hold these positions). They maintain the belief that they do not need to read the Bible to preach and claim that the preaching of other churches is dry bread, and endorse that true preaching is that which is led by God, that is, they do not need to prepare for the sermon . Whatever comes to mind, even if it is bizarre, is the true revelation of God, in other words, the hot bread from heaven. Anything that is done in the Christian Congregation in Brazil, whether choosing a hymn, starting a sermon, or promoting someone to an ecclesiastical position, must have God's approval. At first, members were prohibited from watching television, seen as the image of the Beast, and listening to the radio, seen as Satan's crate. Currently, members can listen to the radio but not watch television. The doctrine of the Christian Congregation in the Brazil, although it does not declare it, maintains a vision somewhat similar to restorationism, as it considers that the church is the true primitive church. They consider that the sin leading to death is fornication, adultery and homosexuality and they practice excommunication of those who practice such sins. They also practice shunning members who leave the church. They claim that all other churches are apostates, belonging to the devil, and that they will be thrown into the lake of fire and those will be thrown into hell. For them, the Christian Congregation in the Brazil is the wonderful grace, the one true church founded by Jesus himself where there is salvation and is the only one that will be taken to heaven.