Brazil Regional Office

Ministry Description

Pioneered by Harry Bollback and Harold Reimer, Word of Life Brazil holds a special place in our history as the very first international outreach of Word of Life Fellowship. Officially established in 1957 out of a deep desire to share the gospel with young Brazilians the first youth camp in Atibaia was held in 1958 with just 300 young people.
Today, under the leadership of John Reimer, that initial spark has ignited a nationwide movement. From reaching isolated river communities by boat to training hundreds of full-time seminary students, the ministry has expanded across the country. Today, more than 260 full-time missionaries serve with WOL Brazil in multiple locations:
• São Paulo (Atibaia & Minas Gerais): The central hub features a comprehensive four-year Bible Seminary with over 200 full-time students. It is also home to the flagship youth camp, the Estância Bible conference center, a Support Center serving vulnerable children and families, and weekly marriage and family seminars. In Minas Gerais, a beautifully designed campus focuses specifically on reaching and supporting underprivileged students in the region.
• The North (Belém & Itacoatiara): Operating out of Belém since 1989, this unique base includes a Christian Day School, retreat facilities, and a Missionary Training Institute specifically designed to equip students to reach remote Amazonian river communities by boat. The Amazon ministry (SEARA) reaches river communities with evangelism and the Floating Seminary.
• The Northeast (Recife): A major center featuring a well-developed youth camping program, a one-year Bible Institute, and expansive evangelistic outreaches that reach into the neighboring states of Piauí and Ceará.
• The South (Curitiba & Porto Alegre): Curitiba serves as the headquarters for our traveling music and drama group, EMME, alongside its own youth camp. Further south, Porto Alegre hosts a beautiful camp, a Discipleship Training Center, and a vibrant local church ministry.
• Central-West (Goiás, Tocantins): Our presence continues to grow with a conference center and youth camp near Caldas Novas (Goiás), expanding recently into Palmas (Tocantins).

Country Description

With its 8.5 million square kilometers, Brazil is the largest country in South America and the fifth largest in the world. Its landscape is incredibly diverse, ranging from highly urbanized megacities to expansive agricultural regions and the biodiverse Amazon rainforest. Brazilian culture was heavily shaped by the Portuguese, who introduced the national language, but it is also deeply influenced by African, Indigenous, and global immigrant heritages. Today, Brazil is home to over 203 million inhabitants. While it remains the country with the largest Roman Catholic population in the world, its religious landscape has undergone significant transformation; Evangelical Christianity has experienced massive growth, thriving in contrast to Spiritism, Afro-Brazilian religions such as Candomblé and Umbanda, and Indigenous traditions.

Contact Information

Career Missionaries

John & Eliana Reimer