Reformed Beginnings in Brazil Alderi Souza de Matos

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Reformed Beginnings in BrazilAlderi Souza de
Matos
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• I. French Huguenots (1557)
• 2. Dutch Reformed (1630)
• 3. American Presbyterians (1859)

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I. The French Huguenots (1557-1558)
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• Brazil was discovered by Portuguese navigators in
  the year 1500.
• For several decades, Portugal did not make an
  effort to settle the new territory.
• In 1555, an adventurer, Nicholas Durand de
  Villegaignon, established a French colony in the
  bay of Rio de Janeiro.

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• Villegaignon wrote to John Calvin and the
  Reformed Church in Geneva, asking them to send
  some Protestant colonists.
• These French colonists, led by two pastors,
  arrived in Brazil in March 1557.
• On March 10, they held the first Protestant
  worship service in the history of Brazil and the
  Americas.

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John Calvin
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• The purpose of the Huguenot settlers was to start
  a church among the French and to evangelize the
  natives.
• Due to increasing conflicts with the leader of
  the colony, the Protestant colonists were
  expelled from the Antarctic France.

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• Later, three of them were killed under the
  accusation of heresy. They became known as the
  Calvinist martyrs of Brazil.
• Prior to their death, they wrote a beautiful
  statement of their faith (1558), the first
  written on American soil.
• Thus ended the first Calvinist presence in Brazil.

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Indian chief Cunhambebe
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II. The Dutch Reformed (1630-1654)
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• In the 17th century, the Dutch made a more
  successful attempt to start a Protestant colony
  in Brazil.
• Since its independence, the Netherlands had been
  at war with Spain, its former master.

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• In 1621, the Dutch had established the West
  Indies Company in order to promote their
  interests in the New World.
• At that time, Portugal was under Spanish control
  (1580-1640), the so-called Iberian Union.
• Thus, the Dutch felt free to attack Brazil, which
  was technically under the control of Spain.

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Old map of South America
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• In 1624 they took Salvador, the first capital of
  Brazil, but were expelled the following year.
• Then, between 1630 and 1635 the West Indies
  Company seized a large portion of northeastern
  Brazil.

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The area of Dutch Brazil
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Pernambuco
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• Two years later, Prince John Maurice of
  Nassau-Siegen became the ruler of Dutch Brazil
  (1637-1644).
• Being a very capable administrator, he built a
  new city (Recife) and brought scientists and
  painters to the colony.
• He was also a humane leader, granting freedom of
  conscience and worship to the Catholic and Jewish
  residents.

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Prince John Maurice of Nassau-Siegen
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Prince John Maurice
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Maurice of Nassaus fleet
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• The Dutch had their own state church the
  Reformed Church.
• During the 24 years of Dutch colonization 22
  churches and mission churches were organized in
  the Northeast.
• Preaching was done in Dutch, but in Recife
  English and French were also used for the benefit
  of Anglicans and Huguenots.

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City of Olinda
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Fribourg Palace
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• In 1636, the number of churches made possible the
  organization of a classis or presbytery (see
  book of minutes).
• For some time there were two presbyteries
  (Pernambuco and Paraíba), which met annually in
  the Synod of Brazil (1642-1646).

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Rev. Frederick Kesseler, pastor in Recife
(1637-1643)
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• During the whole period, the churches were served
  by more than 50 pastors, known as predicants.
• There were also assistant preachers, elders,
  deacons, comforters of the sick, and school
  teachers.

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Painting by Frans Post (1612-1680), Americas
first painter
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Frans Post, Village and Chapel
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Frans Post, Sugar Cane Farm
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Frans Post, Landscape
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• The Dutch Reformed Church paid close attention to
  the indians.
• The missionary strategy involved preaching,
  education, social care, preparation of a
  catechism, and a project of Bible translation.
• The future ordination of native pastors was also
  being considered.

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• Unfortunately, the system of black slavery was
  kept virtually intact, due to the need for labor
  in the sugarcane plantations.
• However, the slaves should be given religious
  instruction, and when ready for membership,
  should be received in the church.
• The separation of legally married couples was
  prohibited and the slaves should not work on
  Sundays.

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Historia Naturalis Brasiliae (1648)
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Indiae Utriusque (1658)
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Dutch map (Antonio Vaz Island)
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• In 1644, Maurice of Nassau submitted his
  resignation to the Company directors.
• The following year a Portuguese insurrection
  marked the beginning of the end for the Dutch
  settlers.
• In 1654 they left Brazil and went to the West
  Indies and New Amsterdam (New York).

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• As the Dutch departed, all institutional vestiges
  of Reformed Christianity in Brazil disappeared
  for over 150 years.
• The indian congregations survived for some time,
  but eventually ceased to exist.

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III. The American Presbyterians
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• The Reformed faith returned to Brazil after its
  independence in 1822.
• For a few decades, many Calvinist immigrants came
  from several countries in Europe (France,
  Germany, Switzerland).
• These immigrants did not try to preach their
  faith to the Brazilians.

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• Finally, the Presbyterian Church of the United
  States of America (PCUSA) decided to start
  mission work in Brazil.
• On August 12, 1858, the first missionary, Rev.
  Ashbel Green Simonton, arrived in Rio de Janeiro.
• He was the founder of the Presbyterian Church of
  Brazil.

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Rev. Ashbel Green Simonton