In an extraordinary spiritual awakening, over 14,000 people were baptized in Brazil’s northwest Amazon region during the first half of this year alone. This revival is being hailed as a sign of transformation sweeping across the remote region.
One of the Amazonians touched by this wave of faith is 83-year-old Ramos, a lifelong resident of the rainforest. Ramos shared his deep connection to the land with CBN News, saying, “My family and I all grew up here. My grandmother, grandfather, and my parents lived and died in this house. I was born in this house, and I’m also going to die here.”
Despite the isolation, Ramos prefers the serenity of his bamboo house by the river to the bustle of Brazil’s cities. “It’s so much cooler here than in the city. You cannot walk freely in the city. It’s very dangerous, many cars, many people. I’m free here. I keep my windows open. The doors are always open. At my age, I’ve never faced danger,” he said.
A Spiritual Revival in the Amazon
Covering over 6 million square miles, the Amazon rainforest spans several South American countries, but 60% of it lies within northwest Brazil. The Amazon is home to 30 million people, many of whom are now experiencing an unprecedented spiritual revival. Churches, particularly evangelical congregations, are flourishing across the region.
“God is everything for me. God is my father, and without Jesus, I’m nothing,” Ramos, who was raised Catholic, explained.
Josué Bengtson, pastor of the Belem Foursquare Church, remembers the challenges of spreading the gospel in the Amazon. “Those early days were definitely much more difficult than today,” he reflected. Bengtson, who began as a missionary before becoming a pastor, spent decades navigating the vast river networks to reach remote communities.
“When we started evangelizing in this region, we had just a few workers, and pastors had to walk 10 to 15 kilometers to open a congregation,” he shared. “Today, almost all medium-sized churches in the Amazon have a small boat.”
Under Bengtson’s leadership, one of the first Foursquare churches in the Amazon was established. Now, 3,200 Foursquare congregations exist across the region, and the movement continues to grow. “In the first six months of this year, we baptized 14,500 people. Our goal for this year is to baptize over 30,000 people,” Bengtson said.
Facing Challenges, Reaping Rewards
Esequiel Santo, a missionary who has spent over three decades working in the jungle’s interior, recounted the hardships of bringing the gospel to remote communities. “One of the biggest challenges was the isolation and getting used to living among indigenous or riverside communities,” Santo noted.
However, he also testified to the powerful transformations he witnessed. “God was with us in the work; we saw lives being transformed, and so many people heard the gospel. Now we are seeing the fruits.”
Santo’s journey into the heart of the Amazon was far from easy. “I’m from Rio de Janeiro, and back then, I couldn’t afford a plane ticket. I had to take a 6-day bus journey to Belem. From there, I went by boat for another six days to the outskirts of the Amazon basin,” he recalled. “Once I got there, it took at least 15 days by canoe, not a motorized boat, to paddle up the Solimões and Purus rivers to reach the remote communities.”
The Role of Evangelicals in Amazonia
José Eustaquio Alves, a prominent Brazilian sociologist, has studied the impact of evangelical pastors in the Amazon. He noted that while the Catholic Church struggles to train enough priests for the region, evangelical pastors are being trained quickly and integrated deeply into the local communities.
“The Catholic Church often sends priests to the Amazon only once a month or even once a semester, which makes them distant from the people. On the other hand, evangelical pastors live and work within the communities, making their presence felt over time,” Alves explained.
As a result, small evangelical churches are now sprouting in riverside communities across the region. Alves believes that the revival happening in the Amazon could be the long-awaited spiritual awakening for Brazil.
A New Hope for the Amazon
Brazilian senator and evangelical pastor Damares Regina Alves sees this revival as a miracle that is reshaping the spiritual and social landscape of the Amazon. “For many years, people looked at the Amazon and only saw rivers and trees. Today, people are beginning to remember that people are living there who need to be taken care of, who need to hear the gospel, and whose lives need a transformation,” she said. “The church is making this revolution happen.”
This movement of faith is not just about baptisms but about building a sense of community and empowerment among the Amazonian people, offering new hope for the future of this vast and vital region.
