The First Portuguese Speaking Baptist Church of New Jersey is a church made ​​up of Brazilian immigrants in New Jersey - United States. Its members are gathered and people from almost every state of Brazil. A mixture of customs and culture under the same sheet green and yellow. We thank God for making sprout and grow in this piece of ground of the U.S., a Brazilian community with face and voice of the gospel of Christ.
This church began in 1993 when a group of seven children, most of Minas Gerais, began to gather to pray, always on Mondays, in the apartment the couple Julius and Ana Brito. Not long after the group has reached the number twenty. The space was small and since there was a need to formalize the work.
Rented, then a small place in Anne Street, in Newark. Soon, the group of twenty people rose to forty-nine regulars. That space had become too small and the need for a pastor was felt, even though the presence of highly competent leaders.
On April 3, already in the pastorate of Pastor Daniel Passion, the church was organized with 29 members under the name First Baptist Church of Portuguese Speaking of New Jersey.
The church stood in Newark for a few years until they decided to purchase its own headquarters. After much searching, the leadership took note of a bank in the city of Elizabeth, which was closed and sold. Negotiations began the search for funding as well. God opened the door, in fact, threw open them. The building where the church meets atuamente was finally purchased for about $ 250,000.00. For the figure we can see that the group was endowed with a faith and a huge corrreta vision of the possibilities of God.
The battle was just beginning. Residents of the street did not want the church to establish itself there. They went to the City Council and tried to prevent the approval seal of the city. The issue was decided by vote. Thank God, we won! Truly God's plans can not be frustrated. One of the people who voted against the church, later confided to Pastor Daniel Passion: "I'm encandata by the way you are willing to help the community, at no charge, always with satisfaction. And to think that one day I voted for this church does not exist! "The community recognizes today that we are here to bless people's lives.
He began to reform. Adapt the space for worship was not easy. There was a steel vault that was removed by hand. The men left work and went to church to "over time" (overtime). On weekends, the same thing. Finalmentne got everything ready and the inauguration was held in a festive service of thanksgiving.
Pastor Daniel Passion was invited to take a church in Florida. Assuming the presidency of the church the brother that seminarian Aloísio Campaign for two years been at the forefront of leadership.
On June 24, 1999, coming from Recife-PE, Pastor Josiah Bezerra assumed the pastorate of the church. In 2002, Pastor Josiah returns with his family to Brazil in order to complete their studies in psychology. Assuming an interim pastor of the Church Pastor Jose Calixto Patrick who was subsequently invited by the church to become pastor of the same official.
Pastor Calixto took office in May 2003. In 2006 he was ordained to the Pastorate then semininarista Aloisio Campaign and integrated into the pastoral ministry of the Church. Today we have around 270 active members. When our God our gratitude for directing our history with so much love and sovereignty. To Him all honor and glory and praise.