ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Brazilian Baptist pastor Silair Almeida speaks with the confidence that comes from nearly 20 years of ministry among some 300,000 Brazilians who now call south Florida home.
Almeida was one of 14 Brazilian pastors and church leaders who met for two days at the North American Mission Board (NAMB) to establish a Brazilian Mission Network that aims to exponentially expand the spread of the gospel among an estimated 1.3 million Brazilians living throughout the United States.
Only 12,000 of the Brazilians across the country worship in about 75 Baptist churches, reported Mark Hobafcovich, NAMB’s consultant for urban church planting in North America.
The 1.3 million Brazilians in America predominantly live and work in nine metro areas: south Florida, an estimated 300,000; Boston, 350,000; New York, 350,000; Washington, 26,000; Atlanta, 80,000; Houston/Dallas/Austin, 50,000; Chicago, 27,000; Los Angeles, 52,000; and San Francisco, 45,000.
To begin reaching these Brazilians, Hobafcovich said Southern Baptists need to plant 400 new Brazilian Baptist churches by 2030, roughly one new church for every 3,000 Brazilians.
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