Presbyterian Church of Brazil

The beginnings and first decades '''. Rev. Ashbel Green Simonton (1833–1867), considered the founder of the Church, was born in West Hanover, Pennsylvania. He studied in New Jersey intending to become a professor or a lawyer. A religious revival in 1855, encouraged him to enter the Princeton Theological Seminary. While there, a sermon preached by Professor Charles Hodge made him consider becoming a missionary, and three years later he volunteered to the Presbyterian Church in the United States' (PCUS) Missions Board, naming Brazil as his preferred destination. Two months after being ordained, he embarked to Brazil, where he arrived on August 12, 1859, at the age of 26. Other missionaries assisted Simonton in the early years of the Brazilian mission: • Rev. Alexander Latimer Blackford (1829 Martins Ferry OH - May 1890, Atlanta), who oversaw the creation of the churches in São Paulo and Brotas, and was the first president of the Presbytery of Rio de Janeiro. • Rev. Francis J. C. Schneider, who preached among German immigrants in Rio Claro, taught at the Rio de Janeiro Seminary, and was a missionary in Bahia. The church in Campinas was founded in 1870. PCUS missionaries also preached in the Mogiana region, western Minas Gerais, the Triângulo Mineiro and southern Goiás. The church of Rio de Janeiro consecrated its first sanctuary in 1874. In the same year, new congregations were also established in the States of São Paulo, Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul. In the city of São Paulo, the American School was founded. In 1865 the Presbytery of Rio de Janeiro was created with 39 pastors. Schisms In March 1902, Rev. Eduardo C. Pereira created a platform outlining his differences with the church on missionary, educational and Masonic matters. On 31 July, 1903, Pereira and his colleagues withdrew from the Synod and founded the Independent Presbyterian Church of Brazil. In 1956 the Fundamentalist Presbyterian Church was formed under the influence of Karl McIntosh and the Bible Presbyterian Church USA, which has over 20 congregations and 1800 members. The United Presbyterian Church in Brazil was formed in 1978, has 48 churches and 3,466 members in 8 presbyteries. It is a member church of the World Communion of Reformed Churches. ==Worship==

General rules regarding the church's public worship practices are laid in the Principles of Liturgy (PL), which stand as a Directory of Worship. Articles 7 and 8 of the PL read: :Article 7. The Service of Public Worship is a religious act, through which the people of God worships their Lord, comes into communion with Him, making confession of sins and seeking, through the mediation of Jesus Christ, forgiveness, sanctification of life and spiritual growth. It is an appropriate occasion for the proclamation of the redeeming message of Christ's Gospel and the indoctrination and fellowship of the saints. :Article 8. The Service of Public Worship is ordinarily [composed] of the reading of the Word of God, preaching, sacred singing, prayer and offerings. The ministration of the Sacraments, when performed during the Service, is part of it. The Constitution of the Church states that overseeing the liturgy and worship practices of the local congregation is the responsibility and private prerogative of the Minister of Word and Sacraments, who is free to arrange the elements of the service as he deems more edifying to the congregation, so long as worship practices don't come into conflict with the church's doctrinal standards. In an essay published in 2006, Rev. Christian S. Bittencourt, former Professor of Theology of Worship at the Rio de Janeiro Presbyterian Theological Seminary, stated that there are at least four distinct liturgical groups in Brazilian Presbyterianism: Old-school Conservatives, Evangelical Charismatics, Ultra-puritans and Neo-orthodox Conservatives. • Old-school conservatives, the most common tendency, tend to favour a service order freely based in Isaiah, chapter 6: ascription of praise Confession of sins, adoration, Offertory, reading and preaching of Scripture, ministration of the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper and Benediction. Pertinent traditional hymns and/or modern praise choruses may be inserted before, during or after each part of the service, and the Adoration section is often replaced by a selection of praise and worship choruses led by a modern music band. Old-school conservatives usually eschew the use of responsive liturgies, set forms of prayer, creeds, the Church Year and lectionaries (save for the commemoration of Christmas and Easter) and distinctive dress for ministers and church officials, save for rare ministers who choose to wear the Geneva robe, without stoles. women are not allowed to speak, teach or pray in public services nor Sunday School, except if there be no men present; and no feast of the Church Year is ever observed, not even Christmas and Easter. The IPB has no official liturgy akin to PCUSA's Book of Common Worship. For weddings and funerals, Ministers usually employ one of three resources: • Manual do Culto ("Worship Handbook"), a non-official compilation of orders of service done by Rev. Modesto Carvalhosa de Perestrello to serve as a guide to lay leaders in the early 20th century, published by Cultura Cristã, IPB's publishing branch. • Manual Litúrgico ("Liturgical Handbook"), an expansion of Manual do Culto with alternate forms and biblical readings. • The Independent Presbyterian Church's Manual do Culto, which is an abbreviated translation of PC (USA)'s 1993 Book of Common Worship. == Structure ==

The congregations are governed by ruling elders, teaching elders and deacons. The next level is the presbytery where delegates from local churches can discuss current issues. Synod is the next organisation form, the Presbyterian Church in Brazil has more than 64 synods. The highest court is the General Assembly. The church is represented out of court by the President of the Supreme Council which elected directly in and anonymous vote. The current President of the Supreme Council is Rev. Roberto Brasileiro Silva. == Church planting ==

The church reported it was supporting newly planted congregations at the rate of one per week. == Interchurch relationships ==

Presbyterian church in Brazil is a member church of the World Reformed Fellowship. The PCB does not belong to the World Communion of Reformed Churches. The PCB suspended its membership of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches in 1973, but in 1998 it reactivated its membership. In 2006 the Presbyterian Church in Brazil disaffiliated from the World Alliance of Reformed Churches due to theological differences. The church has fraternal relations with 17 Presbyterian Churches in the United States, South America, Africa, Europe and Asia. == Theology ==

The Presbyterian Church in Brazil is a socially and theologically conservative denomination. The church teaches that life begins at conception, and abortion is a sin. According to the Scriptures, homosexual lifestyle is sinful and marriage is a covenant between one man and one woman. Officers, teaching elders, ruling elders and deacons in the denominations are men only. The Presbyterian Church in Brazil severed all ties with first the United Presbyterian Church in the USA, and later the Southern Presbyterian Church. == Theological Seminaries ==

• Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Brasilia • Presbyterian Theological Seminary in the South - Campinas • Rev. Jose Manoel da Conceicao Presbyterian Theological Seminary in São Paulo • Rev. Ashbel Green Simonton Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Rio de Janeiro • Presbyterian Theological Seminary in the North - Recife • Presbyterian theological Seminary in the Northeast - Teresina • Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Central Brazil - Goiania • Extension of Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Central Brazil in Ji-Parana • Rev. Danoel Nicodemos Eller Presbyterian Seminary - Belo Horizonte • Centro Presbiteriano de Pós-graduação Andrew Jumper (Andrew Jumper Post Graduate Center) - São Paulo The Rev. Jose Manuel da Conceicao Theological Seminary was founded in 1980, it was an extension of the Presbyterian Seminary in the South and named after Rev. Jose Manoel da Conceicao the first Brazilian Protestant pastor ordained by the presbyterian church. The Seminary recognise the Westminster Confession of Faith, Shorter and Larger Catechism. == Missions ==

• JMN - Junta de Missões Nacionais (Board of National Missions) - founded in 1940 and has 185 missionaries to plant churches in Brazil. • APMT - Agência Presbiteriana de Missões Transculturais - international missions with 30 missionaries abroad. Mission fields are in Bolivia, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Timor and Romania. • Missão Evangélica Caiuá == Education ==

• Mackenzie Presbyterian Institution • Gammon Presbyterian Institution • Eduardo Lane Bible Institution • Augusto Arújo Bible Institution == Further reading ==