Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil

The Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil (Portuguese: Igreja

Anglican Episcopal
Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil – IEAB) is the 19th province of the
Anglican Communion, covering the country of Brazil. It is Church of Brazil
composed of nine dioceses and one missionary district, each Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do
headed by a bishop, among whom one is elected as the Primate of Brasil
Brazil. The current Primate is Marinez Rosa dos Santos
Bassotto.[2] IEAB is the oldest non-Catholic church in Brazil,[3]
originating from the Treaty of Commerce and Navigation signed in
1810 between Portugal and the United Kingdom which allowed
the Church of England to establish chapels in the former
Portuguese colony. In 1890 American missionaries from the
Episcopal Church established themselves in the country aiming to
create a national church; unlike the English chapels, they
celebrated services in Portuguese and converted Brazilians. The
Anglican community of Brazil was a missionary district of the
Episcopal Church until 1965, when it gained its ecclesiastical
independence and became a separate province of the Anglican
Communion. Twenty years later, IEAB began to ordain women. It
preaches a social gospel, being known for its commitment to fight
against problems that affect vast portions of the Brazilian society, Classification Protestant
such as social inequality, land concentration, domestic violence, Orientation Anglican
racism, homophobia and xenophobia. Its stance as an Inclusive
Church has caused both schisms and the arrival of former Scripture Holy Bible
Catholics and Evangelicals in search of acceptance. Theology Anglican doctrine
Polity Episcopal
History Primate Marinez Rosa
dos Santos
Anglicanism, as a distinctive Christian tradition, began to develop Bassotto
from 1534 when Henry VIII of England, driven by political and
personal concerns, proclaimed the independence of the Church of Associations Anglican
England from the Holy See, rejecting papal authority. The church Communion
claims itself as a continuation of the primitive church, since it has Headquarters Praça Olavo
not rejected the Catholic and Apostolic faith. Anglicanism soon Bilac, 63,
spread to the British colonies in the New World. In Brazil, Campos Elíseos,
however, the official religion imposed by the Portuguese settlers
São Paulo
was the Catholicism and the early attempts by Protestant
missionaries – French Huguenots and Dutch Calvinists – failed.[4] Territory Brazil
The first Anglican to set foot in Brazil was Henry Martin in 1805. Branched from The Episcopal
His ship made a stop in Salvador on its route to India. He remained Church in the
in the city for two weeks and communicated with Catholic priests United States
in French and Latin.[4] He wrote the following about his
impressions of the country: "What happy missionary shall be sent Separations Anglican Church
to bear the name of Christ to these western regions? When shall in Brazil (2005)
Members 120,000[1]
this beautiful country be delivered from idolatry and spurious Official website ieab.org.br (htt
Christianity? Crosses there are in abundance, but when shall the p://ieab.org.br)
doctrine of the Cross be held up?"[5]

In 1810, Portugal and the United Kingdom signed the Treaty of Commerce and Navigation, which allowed
the Church of England to build chapels in Brazil. These were the first non-Catholic chapels in the country,
intended exclusively for the attendance of Anglo-Brazilians. Nevertheless, under the terms of the treaty,
these chapels could not resemble religious temples and its Masses could only be celebrated in English. The
first Anglican Mass was celebrated later that year. In 1819, the first Anglican chapel, Christ Church, was
established in Rio de Janeiro. According to Silva, the early Anglican community did not oppose the status
quo; he points out that some Anglicans owned slaves, despite the Church of England's opposition to the
slave trade. After the Independence, the first missionary activity began. In 1853, William Cooper was sent
to Brazil at the request of an Episcopalian from Rio de Janeiro, probably a member of the American colony.
Nevertheless, his ship sank at the Caribbean Sea and he returned to the United States.

In 1860 a Scottish priest, the Reverend Richard Holden, landed in Belém. He was also sent by the
Episcopal Church to do missionary work.[4] Holden conducted the most successful mission, remaining in
the country for 12 years. He chose Belém as his work post due to the existence of a Bibles distribution
station in the city and his expectation that the Amazon River would be open to international navigation. In
Belém, he tried to create an Anglican community, but was not successful. He used the local media to spread
the church, writing newspaper articles that provoked the wrath of the Catholic bishop, Antônio de Macedo
Costa. Holden was responsible for the first Portuguese translation of the Book of Common Prayer; he also
wrote a dozen hymns — two of them featured in the 1962 hymnal. He traveled the tributary rivers of the
Amazon to sell Bibles in riverside communities. In 1862, he moved to Salvador, where he also tried to
spread Anglicanism through the press. His articles encountered strong opposition and he survived three
assassination attempts. His strong personality and controversial preaching style also provoked opposition
from the Episcopal Church, which had sponsored his trip to Brazil (although it was also in disarray due to
the American Civil War and defeated Confederates would soon arrive in Brazil with their slaves). In 1864,
Rev. Holden accepted the invitation of Presbyterian Robert Kalley to become a minister in the Fluminense
Congregational Church in Rio de Janeiro. He later abandoned Anglicanism and became a
Dispensationalist.[4]

Anglican missions in Brazil began to flourish after 1889, when the Republic was proclaimed and the
country became officially secular; this decriminalized the conversion of Catholics to Anglicanism and other
churches and religions. In 1890, the priests Lucien Lee Kinsolving and James Watson Morris were sent to
Brazil from the Virginia Theological Seminary. They established themselves in a rented house later known
as the Mission House (Casa da Missão) in Porto Alegre, where they held the first Anglican Mass in
Portuguese on 1 June 1890.[3] Three other American missionaries followed in 1891: Rev. William Cabell
Brown (who would leave in 1914 to become bishop in his native Virginia, but after completing translations
of the Bible and Book of Common Prayer), Rev. John Gaw Meem and lay woman Mary Packard. They
established missions in Santa Rita do Rio dos Sinos, Rio Grande and Pelotas. These five missionaries are
regarded as the founders of the Brazilian Episcopal Church, since they preached to Brazilians in Portuguese
and spread Anglicanism throughout the Southern region of Brazil, which now has the largest number of
Anglican communities.

In 1893, Morris and Brown launched the Christian Standard (Estandarte Cristão), a newspaper for the
Anglican community of Porto Alegre. That same year, Bishop George William Peterkin of West Virginia
visited the Brazilian mission and ordained four deacons. Four years later, the Brazilian mission was visited
by Waite Hockin Stirling, who ordained three priests and confirmed 159 members.
In 1899, Kinsolving became a bishop, leading the Brazilian community. In 1907, the missionary efforts
resulted in the creation of the Missionary District of Brazil within the Episcopal Church. In 1908, the
missionaries began their activities in Rio de Janeiro, then capital of Brazil, where Kinsolving hoped to build
the headquarters of the church. Four years later, the Anglicans opened schools in Porto Alegre and Santana
do Livramento. In 1921, the missionaries began working in the State of São Paulo, reaching the state
capital in 1924. In 1926, William M. M. Thomas was elected Bishop of the Missionary District of Brazil
and Kinsolving returned to the United States a year later. In 1929, the Episcopal Press was founded; it
launched the most important revised edition of the Book of Common Prayer. According to Kickhofel, the
Anglican worship service was envied by the Catholics, since they only began praying in Portuguese after
the end of the Second Vatican Council in 1965.

In 1940, Athalicio Theodoro Pithan became the first Brazilian-born bishop of the missionary district;
Episcopalians celebrated the 40th year of their presence in Brazil that same year. In 1949, the year of
bishop Thomas' retirement and succession by Louis Chester Melcher, the Missionary District of Brazil was
sub-divided into three dioceses, which prompted discussions about the ecclesiastical independence of the
Episcopal Church Brazilian.

In 1952, the first General Synod took place. Three years later, the chapels which were founded in the 1820s
and were still being operated by the Church of England merged with the Missionary District of Brazil after
a deal reached by the Episcopal Church and the Church of England. In 1965, the Anglican Episcopal
Church of Brazil (Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil; IEAB) gained its autonomy, becoming the 19th
ecclesiastical province of the Anglican Communion and electing Egmont Machado Krischke, son of an
early missionary, as its Primate Bishop. Since then, the Anglican Episcopal Church has had the autonomy
to develop its own liturgy. In 1966, IEAB became a member of the World Council of Churches as part of
its commitment to Christian ecumenism. In 1974, the Brazilian province was visited, for the first time, by an
Archbishop of Canterbury, Michael Ramsey. IEAB achieved financial independence from the Episcopal
Church in the late 1970s.

In 1985, IEAB began to ordain women following the decision of the 1984 General Synod; the first female
priest was the Reverend Carmen Etel Alves Gomes. IEAB preceded the Church of England on the matter.
In 1990, during its centenary, IEAB decided to focus on three areas, considering the social-economic
problems of Brazil: education, service and expansion. That same year, the Primate Bishop of IEAB and the
Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church established a bilateral committee with the purpose of
reapproaching the churches, encouraging partnerships and mutual relations between them. The Episcopal
Church still sends missionaries to Brazil and the dioceses of Pennsylvania and São Paulo and Indianapolis
and Brasília maintain special relations. In addition, IEAB initiated a dialogue with the Anglican churches
from other Portuguese-speaking countries.

Presiding Bishop
Originally under the metropolitical supervision of the Episcopal Church, the Anglican Episcopal Church of
Brazil became an independent province in 1965 and consists of a single metropolitical province, so its head
serves as both metropolitan and primate. In this role he uses the style of "Dom", typical of the hierarchs of
the Catholic Church, but does not have the usual title of "Archbishop", being known by the alternative title
of "Presiding Bishop" (Bispo Primaz). The primate bishops have been:[6]

Egmont Machado Krischke, 1965—1971

Arthur Rodolpho Kratz, 1972—1984
Olavo Ventura Luiz, 1986—1992
Glauco Soares de Lima, 1993—2003
Orlando Santos de Oliveira, 2003—2006
 Maurício José Araújo de Andrade, 2006—2013
Francisco de Assis da Silva, 2013—2018
Naudal Alves Gomes, 2018–2022
Marinez Rosa dos Santos Bassotto, 2023- present

Governance
A substantial proportion of the priests of the province are women.
The president of the House of Clergy and Laity for the first time is
a lay woman, Selma Rosa, who was elected at the general synod
for a three-year term. The general secretary of the church is Arthur
Cavalcante, also appointed at the general synod for a three-year
term.
Maurício José Araújo de Andrade,
Primate Bishop of the Anglican
Dioceses and mission districts Episcopal Church of Brazil from 2006
to 2013

The province consists of nine dioceses, each headed by a bishop,

one of whom is elected as Primate Bishop. The 30th General
Synod of the church, held in July 2006, elevated the Amazon mission as the ninth diocese of the province
and grouped the dioceses and the missionary district of the province into three regions.

Anglican dioceses of Brazil and the missionary district (in dark yellow).

Anglican Diocese of the Amazon

Headed by Bishop Marinez Rosa dos Santos Bassotto, it covers the states of Pará,
Amapá, Roraima, Amazonas and Acre.
Anglican Diocese of Brasilia
 Headed by Bishop Maurício José Araújo de Andrade (former Primate Bishop), it covers
the Federal District, the states of Goiás, Tocantins and the west portion of Minas Gerais.
Anglican Diocese of Curitiba
Headed by Bishop Naudal Alves Gomes, it covers the state of Paraná.
Anglican Diocese of Pelotas
Headed by Bishop Renato Raatz, it covers the area of the town of Pelotas, Rio Grande
do Sul and the surrounding coastline. Previous bishops include Luis Prado.[7]
Anglican Diocese of Recife
Headed by Bishop João Cancio Peixoto, it covers the area of the Northeast Region of
Brazil.
Anglican Diocese of Rio de Janeiro
Headed by Bishop Eduardo Coelho Grillo, it covers the states of Rio de Janeiro, Espírito
Santo, and most of Minas Gerais.
Anglican Diocese of São Paulo
Headed by Bishop Flávio Augusto Borges Irala, it covers the state of São Paulo.
Southern Diocese
Headed by Bishop Francisco de Assis da Silva (also Primate Bishop), it covers the
coastal areas of the states of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, excluding the area
in the Diocese of Pelotas.
South-West Diocese
Headed by Bishop Humberto Maiztegui Gonçalves, it covers the inland areas of the
states of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul.
Missionary District of the West
Also headed by Bishop Francisco de Assis da Silva, it covers the states of Rondônia,
Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul.

Social issues
Due to the predominance of the Liberal wing – which defends a social interpretation of the Gospels
because of the oppression that a literal interpretation may cause – IEAB rejects fanaticism and preaches that
the church should be an instrument of social change, seeking to engage congregations and communities in
debates still considered taboo in Brazilian society, such as those involving land concentration, domestic
violence, sexism, racism, homophobia and xenophobia. It describes itself as concerned about the social,
political, moral and spiritual lives of its members. It is also considered an Inclusive Church for it accepts, as
members, people from historically marginalized groups such as LGBT, women, indigenous and landless.
According to the canons of IEAB, "as Christians, we bear the promise of the Holy Spirit, which leads us to
the Word made flesh, who welcomes the oppressed, the neglected, the misunderstood and the
marginalized".

IEAB argues that "everyone baptized, faithful and obedient to God, regardless of their sexual orientation,
are full members of the Body of Christ, the Church". According to Cardoso, the Church has welcomed gay
people as members since 1998. In 1997, the Bishops of IEAB signed a document saying that "sexuality is a
gift from God, and sexual intercourse, when practiced in a context of love and mutual respect, should not
only be accepted but also considered as one of the good things that God has created". In 2001, IEAB
conducted the first national consultation on human sexuality, when its members decided to reject "the
principle of exclusion implicit in the ethics of sin and uncleanness" and declare inclusiveness as an "essence
of the ministry of Jesus". On 12 May 2011, IEAB released a statement declaring its support for the
Supreme Federal Court decision to recognize same-sex unions in Brazil. More recently, the Presiding
Bishop issued a letter in support of the Episcopal Church's decision to adopt a non-gender marriage stance
and stating that he wanted his church to do the same soon.[8] The Church has declared its support for the
ordination of openly gay clergy and has offered a service of blessing for same-sex marriages.[9] According
to Santos, the political progressivism of IEAB's religious leaders is the reflex of their broad theological
education.

In June 2016, the presiding bishop convened an Extraordinary Synod to discuss amending the marriage
canon to include same-sex marriage, but a consensus was not reached; the issue will be considered in the
General Synod in 2017.[10] IEAB is among the Anglican churches that are open to blessing same-sex
unions.[11] "Anglican churches in Brazil, South Africa, New Zealand and Scotland have moved to
recognize same-sex relationships."[12]

Clergy were able to enter civil partnerships, and are now also able to enter into same-sex marriages.[13] On
1 June 2018 the General Synod voted to change the marriage canon to allow same-sex couples to get
married.[14]

Anglican realignment
The Diocese of Recife, led by Bishop Robinson Cavalcanti, withdrew from IEAB in 2005, due to their
disagreement with the national church policies on homosexuality. The diocese renamed itself as Anglican
Church-Diocese of Recife and joined the Global South realignment movement as an extraprovincial
diocese [15]..

See also
Anglican Chapel of Salvador, former church building in Salvador, Bahia

References
1. "Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil" (http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/epis
copal-anglican-church-of-brazil). www.oikoumene.org. World Council of Churches.
Retrieved November 4, 2015.
2. "Brazil Elects First Female Primate in Latin America" (https://livingchurch.org/2022/11/16/bra
zil-elects-first-female-primate-in-latin-american/). The Living Church. 2022-11-16. Retrieved
2023-03-04.
3. Calvani, Carlos Eduardo. "Anglicanismo no Brasil" (http://www.usp.br/revistausp/67/04-calv
ani.pdf). Revista USP. São Paulo: n.67, p. 36-47, setembro/novembro 2005. Página visitada
em 6 de julho de 2015.
4. Kickhofel, Oswaldo. "Apontamentos de História da Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil" (htt
p://www.centroestudosanglicanos.com.br/bancodetextos/historiadaigreja/apontamentos_de
_historia_da_%20ieab.pdf). Centro de Estudos Anglicanos.
5. Smith, George. Henry Martyn Saint and Scholar: First Modern Missionary to the
Mohammedans, 1781-1812 (https://books.google.com/books?id=j3AQM8VhKhkC&pg=PT1
59). Library of Alexandria. ISBN 1465513809.
6. See official website (http://www.ieab.org.br/site/en/structure/bispo-primaz) listing.
 7. "Review of 2010: obituaries" (https://www.ukpressonline.co.uk/ukpressonline/view/pagview/
ChTm_2010_12_24_047). Church Times. No. 7710/11. 24 December 2010. p. 47.
ISSN 0009-658X (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0009-658X). Retrieved 14 October 2019 –
via UK Press Online archives.
8. Uma Palavra do Primaz do Brasil Sobre as Mudanças a Respeito do Matrimónio na Igreja
Episcopal dos Estados Unidos, Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil Official Website
(Portuguese) (http://sn.ieab.org.br/2015/07/22/uma-palavra-do-primaz-do-brasil-sobre-as-mu
dancas-a-respeito-do-matrimonio-na-igreja-episcopal-dos-estados-unidos/)
9. Guiame. "Anglicanos dividem opiniões sobre homossexualidade, Notícias Gospel" (http://gu
iame.com.br/gospel/mundo-cristao/anglicanos-dividem-opinioes-sobre-homossexualidade.h
tml). Guiame (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2016-04-13.
10. "Primaz convoca GT sobre Gênero, Sexualidades e Direitos « SNIEAB" (https://web.archiv
e.org/web/20160819000307/http://sn.ieab.org.br/2016/06/30/primaz-convoca-gt-sobre-gener
o-sexualidades-e-direitos/). Archived from the original (http://sn.ieab.org.br/2016/06/30/prima
z-convoca-gt-sobre-genero-sexualidades-e-direitos/) on 2016-08-19. Retrieved 2016-07-12.
11. Wyatt, Caroline (2016-01-11). "Anglican communion's 'bitter divide' over gay rights" (https://
www.bbc.com/news/world-35256193). BBC News. Retrieved 2017-05-12.
12. "Anglican Leaders Censure Episcopal Church For Stance On Homosexuality" (https://www.
npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/01/14/463085910/anglican-leaders-censure-episcopal-ch
urch-for-stance-on-homosexuality). NPR.org. Retrieved 2017-05-12.
13. "Synod of the Episcopal Church of Brazil backs same-sex marriage" (https://www.churchtim
es.co.uk/articles/2018/8-june/news/world/synod-of-the-episcopal-church-of-brazil-backs-sam
e-sex-marriage). www.churchtimes.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-06-09.
14. "IEAB synod adopts same-sex marriage canon" (https://web.archive.org/web/201806050319
06/http://anglican.ink/article/ieab-synod-adopts-aame-sex-marriage-canon). Anglican Ink
2018 ©. 2018-06-01. Archived from the original (http://anglican.ink/article/ieab-synod-adopts-
aame-sex-marriage-canon) on 2018-06-05. Retrieved 2018-06-02.
15. Costa, Rafael Vilaça Epifani. 'Unidade na diversidade, unidade na adversidade' : a Igreja
Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil e as múltiplas identidades do anglicanismo no século XXI.
2017. 650 f. Tese (Doutorado) - Universidade Católica de Pernambuco. Pró-Reitoria
Acadêmica. Coordenação Geral de Pós-Graduação. Doutorado em Ciências da Religião,
2021.[1] (http://tede2.unicap.br:8080/handle/tede/1683#preview-link0)

External links
Official website (http://www.ieab.org.br) (Portuguese)
Anglican Diocese of Recife (https://web.archive.org/web/20050611233631/http://www.dar.ie
ab.org.br/) (Portuguese)

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