Growing Gospel Work in Brazil
Bert Turner is a Pastor at Covenant of Grace Church, Copley, Ohio and is the SGC Representative for our work in Brazil. Bert shares this update from a recent trip…
“So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.”
1 Thessalonians 2:8
Igreja Graça Soberana of Rio Grande
“Affectionately desirous of you” is how I feel about Igreja Graça Soberana of Rio Grande, Brazil. This July marked my eighth trip since 2019 to visit these precious saints – many of whom are dear friends. It’s been a privilege to walk alongside them through some very difficult times and some very blessed times. It is a joy to see them flourishing now.
Emerson Soares, pastor of Igreja Graça Soberana, and I spent days of unhurried time together immersed in Scripture and prayer in relation to the growth of Sovereign Grace Churches in Brazil. We are beginning a process of transferring the role of liaison between the churches in Brazil and our wider family of churches from me to Emerson.
It was also a joy to teach a couples class, meet with the leadership, counsel and preach on Sunday. It was a highlight to fellowship with a Community Group that meets in Emerson and Tati’s home.
Igreja CasaVide in São Bernardo do Campo
“Highly relational” is how we describe our family of churches and the sweet process of exploring partnership with churches like Igreja CasaVide in São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil. It has been a delight to deepen our relationship with pastors Rafael Yamashiro and André Casamiro and their families during my recent trip there. We had a fruitful time working through some of the nitty gritty ecclesiological implications that inform statutes and practices with the help of Fabiano Medeiros, a Sovereign Grace pastor who attends CasaVide.
It was also a joy hanging out with some of their kids – Melani Yamashiro is a joy and it was fun teaching some of the finer points of handling boa constrictors to Caleb Yamashiro and his friend Pedro.
Rafael and André have wisely invested time relationally – going on retreats with Emerson Soares and me, going to the Pastors Conference, visiting our church in Ohio – before talking widely about Sovereign Grace Churches with the members of CasaVide. The time was right on this trip for an invitation for me to preach and then, in a meeting following the service, to share about our family of churches and what partnership would look like.
Sovereign Grace Music in Brazil
We are in the final stages of recording the second album of Sovereign Grace Music songs in Portuguese. We are grateful to God for Bob Kauflin’s vision, expertise and sponsorship of this project. It would be hard to overstate the importance of the gift from God that Fabiano Medeiros is in releasing these songs of worship to bless God’s people in Brazil and other Portuguese-speaking peoples.
Fabiano has developed a talented team of volunteer translators who produce wonderful versions of the songs in Portuguese. Karen, my wife, and I serve on that team since we speak English as our first language. Fabiano also leads through the recording process in Brazil using talented vocalists from local churches. I was happy to deliver gifts of Sovereign Grace Music hoodies to the translators and vocalists.
Sovereign Grace Churches Publishing
We are very excited about the goal to publish 10 Sovereign Grace books in Portuguese. We have received a $5,000 grant from the Sovereign Grace Latin America Fund and a $10,000 gift from a couple in a Sovereign Grace church in the US. Again, Fabiano is playing a crucial role given his expertise and relationships in publishing. His team has already translated “The Holy Spirit and the Church,” by Jeff Purswell and “Who Governs the Church,” by Jared Mellinger. Both of these books uniquely bring doctrinal clarity to areas in which there is much confusion in Brazil.
We are looking forward to a visit from André Casamiro and Emerson Soares at the 2026 Pastors Conference.
Here are some ways you can be praying.
For the Lord to strengthen and grow the churches in Brazil
For the Lord to bless the lives and families of Emerson and Tati Soares, Fabiano and Marcia Medeiros, Rafael and La Rainny Yamashiro and André and Deanna Casamiro
For the release of the 2nd album of Sovereign Grace Music in Portuguese.
For the publication of Sovereign Grace books in Portuguese.
Transition of the liaison role
