First International Congress on Church Planting
among the Amazon River Populations

March 10-13, 1998
Manaus, Brazil

The First International Congress on Church Planting among the Amazon River Populations was held March 10-13, 1998 in Manaus, Brazil. It was put on by the Brazil 2010 Project, the official thrust of the Saturation Church Planting Track of the AD 2000 Movement in Brazil. There were a total of 158 registered participants, representing 20 denominations and more than 10 mission agencies, and they came from 7 different countries. The covenant adopted at the end of the Congress follows:

Amazon Regional Covenant

We, the representatives of 20 denominations, from 3 states of the Amazon Region - Amazonas, Para' and Rondonia - at the First International Congress on Church Planting among the Amazon River Populations (including indigenous river communities and rural communities along the highways), meeting in Manaus, together with representatives of more than 10 mission organizations, March 10-13, 1998, after receiving information on the Northern Region (the States of Acre, Amapa', Amazonas, Para', Rondonia, Roraima and Tocantins) that there are approximately 33,000 river communities, and that there is an evangelical church in only 10% of them, and that there exist municipalities like Sao Paulo de Olivenca, Atalaia do Norte and others with only 1% believers, resolve to:

1. Cooperate with one another, overcoming denominational barriers by the love of Christ, joining forces and always rejoicing when one more church is planted, for the glory of God.
2. Do all we can to research the actual situation of every municipality of the states of the Northern Region, with a commitment to share the information gathered with every denominational leader, pastor, missionary and mission agency of the Amazon region.
3. Intercede for the states of the Amazon region, for all of the denominations, for the mission agencies, for the missionaries who are on the field and for the Lord to raise up more workers for the harvest.
4. Work to plant new churches, especially in the areas where the need of an evangelical presence is greatest.
5. Hold a consultation in each state between now and November 1998 in order to determine the areas of greatest priority and how many churches we plan to plant in the next 3 years, based upon the research and upon agreements among the denominations.
6. Hold a second Congress on Church Planting among the Amazon River Populations, July 12-16, 1999, where we will establish a goal for church planting in the Amazon region based on the goals of each state.

We give thanks to God for the way in which the churches and institutions have readily made available their experiences, research, radio services, plane, boats, courses and leadership tools, literature, and physical space. Feeling the weight of responsibility for our land, as expressed by the Apostle Paul (Romans 9:2), with the vision of Acts 1:8 and Matthew 28:19-20, and with the willingness of Nehemiah, we sign this covenant. May the Lord bless us.

Participating Denominations:

• The Presbyterian Church of Brazil
• The Independent Presbyterian Church of Brazil
• The Church of the Foursquare Gospel
• The Wesleyan Methodist Church
• The Evangelical Wesleyan Church
• The Assemblies of God
• The Pentecostal Church of God of Brazil
• The Primitive Pentecostal Church
• The National Baptist Church
• The Independent Baptist Church
• The Brazilian Baptist Convention
• The Regular Baptist Church
• The Evangelical Holiness Church
• The Church of the Peace
• The Living Church
• The Evangelical Community of Manaus
• The Christian Evangelical Church
• The Evangelical Biblical Church
• The Renewed Presbyterian Church
• The Evangelical Congregational Church
• The Jesus Lives Church
• The Baptist Church of the Brazilian Messianic Community

Participating Mission Agencies:

• New Tribes Mission
• Evangelical Pentecostal Mission of Brazil
• Rebirth Mission (Church of God)
• SAIM Mission
• Asas de Socorro (MAF Brazil)
• Brazilian Bible Society
• Transworld Radio
• HCJB - The Voice of the Andes
• Southern Baptist International Mission Board (Richmond, VA)
• National Missions Board of the Brazilian Baptist Convention
• Youth With a Mission
• Sepal (OC International Brazil)
• Association of Evangelicals of Brazil
• AD 2000
• Brasil 2010 Project
• Missions International
• MISPA - Mission Pricilla and Aquilla
• Amazon Missionary Service
• IBARNE - Black River Bible Institute
• DAWN Ministries / Amanecer

Manaus, March 13, 1998.

Note: The Northern/Amazon Region of Brazil has a population of about 11.5 million people of whom approximately 16% are evangelical Christians. Despite the fact that this region has the highest percentage of evangelicals in the country, the vastness of the land mass of the region, coupled with the fact that the population is divided up into about 33,000 river villages, result in the need to plant an additional 30,000 churches in order to have a viable Gospel witness in each community. In addition, there are about 100 Indian tribes in the region with no Scripture translated into their language nor missionary presence. Please pray for the National Brazil 2010 Congress schedules for June 1-3, 1998 where national Brazilian church leaders will be discussing goals and plans to plant the additional 150,000 to 200,000 churches needed in order to reach all of this vast nation.

In Christ,
Larry W. Kraft
National Research Coordinator
Vice-Coordinator of the Brazil 2010 Project
Email: [email protected]
Brasil 2010 Project web site in English: http://www.infobrasil.org/br2010/dream

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