By David Miller

Eight years ago, the Northern Assembly of Brazil began a new seminary in Itaituba, Pará. The intent was to train and provide leaders and pastors who could plant new churches. When Dale and Connie Fillmore arrived in Northern Brazil as missionaries, there were three established churches and five preaching points. This region is roughly equal in size to an area extending from the West Coast of the United States through Oklahoma. Clearly, there was a great need for church planting.

The Fillmores were appointed as the academic directors of the seminary, Instituto Teologico Boa Terra na Amazônia (Theological Institute of the Good Earth of Amazônia), which is an extension of the seminary of the same name in southern Brazil. Finding it very difficult to fulfill their responsibilities while living in Belém, they soon moved to Itaituba.

There were ten students the first year. It was an exciting time, watching these young men and women prepare for ministry. Of this group, seven graduated at the end of their term, and two returned to graduate later. The next year brought the enrollment to thirteen students. Since then, nineteen graduates have been placed in ministry, as either pastors or leaders within our churches. Northern Brazil now has seventeen established churches and six preaching points. This would not have been possible had it not been for the seminary. Several young people have indicated they want to enter seminary. The future of the church is bright in Northern Brazil.

Plans are in the making to transition some of our preaching points to churches. Our eyes are always open to see where God is working so that we can join him. Church of God people are moving to a key places for employment, and we are hoping to plant churches in these cities as well.

The Amazon region of Brazil is not all jungle. There are significant cities with populations of over a million people. The largest city is Manaus, with three million souls—and no Church of God. This is one of our goals. A city as large as Manaus could support several churches. Pray for Northern Brazil and the leaders graduating from our seminary, Instituto Teologico Boa Terra na Amazônia.

Dale and Connie Fillmore are career missionaries to Brazil. Learn more about our missionaries at www.chog.org/globalmissions.