Brazilian Blend

Meeting in a granite factory’s dusty showroom, Pastor Fabricio Oliveira was discouraged. He knew God had called him from his home in Brazil to the United States to minister, and now his small but growing church of Brazilian immigrants in Birmingham, Alabama, was without a home.

Unable to find any space to rent within the church’s budget, he was introduced through a friend to Horizon Church’s Pastor Joe L. Comer, who had space to lease.

Within a few years, Oliveira and Comer would merge the congregations they pastored. Both men say they would have never imagined their ministries ending up like this – a young Brazilian congregation merging with an older American church in the South – but they could not have dreamed for a better scenario.

“Only God could do this miracle,” says Oliveira, 38. “Only God could open the doors that you never expect.”

Comer, 50, says merging with the Brazilian congregation officially in October after a few trial months has renewed Horizon Church’s passion for God and missions.

“Both of our churches were OK, but once we had church together, we noticed that something unique was happening,” Comer says. “There was a really different spirit present, like God multiplied his presence when we were together.”

Both pastors acknowledge that their cultures and languages are different, but Oliveira says he was shocked at how accepting the members of Horizon were.

“They received us and gave us the opportunity to live better,” he says.

When both the churches started working together, Oliveira says they could do more to build God’s kingdom.

Before the congregations merged, the churches began doing some activities, holiday services, and missions projects together.

Comer says one of the first missions trips was to a rural, poor village in Brazil. He said the experience “let me see in a very real way their heart for God and the call to reach out to everybody.”

Since then, the congregations have supported projects to purchase an ambulance in India, build a church in Brazil, and support missions work in Zambia and Haiti. In January, the church is sending a missions group to the Amazon jungle.

“Our church has been strong with missions in terms of financially giving,” Comer says. “But now we’re not only able to give, but put feet on the ground so we can do even more.”

Oliveira says he has a heart for missions and is always surprised how much a small group of Christians can accomplish.

The merged Horizon Church now has around 110 attendees on Sunday morning, and Comer and Oliveira are praying for increased growth. The services and worship are primarily in English, with translators speaking through headsets. On Wednesday nights, the church hosts Bible studies in English and Portuguese.

And in January, English as a second language courses are starting.

Comer says that although the church’s primary language is English, he wants to help the Brazilians preserve their culture and language. In some parts of the South, welcoming immigrants isn’t on the agenda.

“When you see it from our perspective, you see some incredible people who have some amazing talents,” he says. “There is something about how God’s heart goes out to those who are willing to cross traditional boundaries and allow other people into the space. Worship in our church is not just for those who have grown up in this neighborhood; it’s for everybody.”

Comer said the church’s next step is to begin a discipleship and mentoring program. Many of the new members of the church are first-time Christians, and Comer says he sees a big benefit to pairing up some new Brazilian Christians with some of the older members of the Horizon Church.

Oliveira says he is thankful to God for connecting him with Comer and Horizon Church.

“I never expected to come to Alabama,” Oliveira says. “A couple years ago I spoke to Pastor Joe to rent his kitchen, and now I am an associate pastor with him. Now we are walking shoulder to shoulder. Only God can do that.”

Christine Temple

Christine Temple is a writer based in southwest Missouri who works as the features editor and audience development director at the Springfield Business Journal. She previously managed communications at Ozarks Food Harvest, worked as a reporter at the Springfield News-Leader, and served as editor of Evangel University's student newspaper, The Lance. Temple graduated from Evangel with a Bachelor's Degree in journalism and was named the Student Journalist of the Year by the Society of Collegiate Journalists in 2013.