A Bible, a speaker and a microphone placed in a bandstand in Méier, a neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro. It was with these instruments and in this place that the young Edir Macedo began to fulfill his calling to take the Gospel to every creature (Matthew 28:19-20). And, 48 years later, some things have changed.

 

The bandstand became too small and the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God transformed an old funeral home into its first temple, inaugurating it on July 9, 1977, in the Abolição neighborhood, in the northern part of Rio de Janeiro. Today, there are more than 12 thousand temples spread throughout Brazil and in more than 150 countries.

 

The voice of a man who left everything to preach the Gospel now resonates in 150 other languages ​​and dialects through hundreds of bishops, pastors and their respective wives and more than 626 thousand volunteers. The speaker and microphone have changed and now the Gospel is spread through radio and TV stations, the internet and printed newspapers – such as Folha Universal, which reaches more than 1.7 million people every week – always maintaining the same essence, the same love for souls and the same dedication to serving God and our neighbours.

 

These almost 18 thousand days of history have also been marked by challenges such as persecution, biased news, defamation, slander and even legal proceedings and the imprisonment of Bishop Macedo. We thank God for this! These events have resulted in learning and maturity in the face of each obstacle overcome because, due to the undeniable growth, something has remained intact: the Word of God.

 

The Bible has always been the basis that has founded and still founds this Work that continues to be refined day after day, because the same inspiration contained in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 also inspires every step of the Universal Church. That is why each Altar does not preach a doctrine, but rather repentance, baptism in water and baptism with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), intelligent Faith (Romans 10:17), rational worship (Romans 12:1), the practice of the Word of God (James 1:22), faithfulness (Malachi 3:10) and everything else that is recorded in the Holy Scripture.

 

And there is a special detail in all this dedication to convey the essence of the Word of God in the simplest and most objective way possible. Do you know the popular saying “words convince, but examples carry”? Well then! Before teaching, the Universal Church practices. The fruits of these 48 years can be seen in countless testimonies and also through 15 social programs and different humanitarian actions throughout the world. Whether in a school, a prison, an orphanage or nursing home, a hospital or cemetery, an event planned months in advance or a humanitarian action that occurs due to a disaster, the Universal Church spares no effort to offer support to every person in need and, often, neglected. And many of those who benefit do not even know about the Universal Church.

 

For those who want to know the secret of giving so much without expecting anything in return, facing so many challenges and overcoming them and continuing to open temples in Brazil and around the world, it is simple: obedience to the Word of God, submission to the Holy Spirit and maturity in the face of each situation experienced.

 

There is still much to do, much to learn and many souls to reach. And so the Universal Church advances until the return of the Lord Jesus, as instructed in 1 Corinthians 15:58: “… steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

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