Igreja Presbiteriana Vila Mar

Presbyterian Church Vila Mar, Titanzinho - Serviluz - Fortaleza Ceara

The Presbyterian Church Vila Mar is located opposite the beach Titanzinho in Serviluz neighborhood in Cearense Capital.

She is jurisdicioada by IPB (Presbyterian Church of Brazil) which is a community of Reformed Christian families committed to the proclamation of the Word of God with the education of generations and the transformation of the human being and society.

OUR STORY!

At the time of World War II a young Scottish Christian named Bill served the US Army and had the opportunity to go through Brazil, more precisely in the Amazon. Among so many different things he saw, was struck by a bird: the parrot - "a bird that speaks!" He returned to the United States and after the end of the war, he studied at a theological seminary, he married the young Dolores and became Pastor . Burned in his heart the desire to proclaim the Gospel in another country. When he learned that Brazil would be his destination, he was happy because it could return to the land of the bird that speaks.

It was the year 1972 when Pastor Bill came to Brazil. He was initially in São Paulo learning our language. At first I had difficulties with the Portuguese. Once when buying vegetables, he scared the greengrocer to ask for half a kilo of "ladies" (instead of carrots). He prepared well to preach his first message in Portuguese. I expected to speak about 20 minutes. But after five minutes ended the preaching. The most amazing is that still a person converted to listen to your word. Joking about it, he said, "how can you, Lord, a miserable message that?

A few years later the hand of the Lord was leading to the city of Fortaleza. One day decided to take a walk with family in Praia Mansa (near Pier Port of Fortaleza). When they got there, many children approached and Bill pastor began to play with them. They were poor children, residents of the area. The following Sunday he decided to return to the same place to make a cult with them. He liked it so much we decided to repeat every week that visit. He built a hut with benches for the children to sit, where they met every Sunday to worship the Lord. That place turned into a church.

One day after a US vacation, he returned to Brazil and no longer met the brothers gathered in Mansa, because that place had become a restricted area and all they had to leave, going to a region who it was then a heap of sand and garbage. In this new place they separated land to build the church and when Pastor Bill arrived, the little church was already standing in what is now the Sea Village Project

The missionary felt that his mission was almost complete and was approaching the time to return to his country. But I did not want to leave that orphan community. It was then that in 1981 requested the Presbyterian Church of Fortaleza (IPF) to adopt his beloved Brazilian daughter, the Church Vila Mar.

It was amazing how the Lord has provided new leaders for this community! Pastor Bill returned to the US, but in late 1981, a family first became involved with the job. Even living in downtown Fortaleza, the priest Rinaldo Florentino and his wife Joice Pinheiro and his sons participated frequently in meetings of the little church.

The new leaders have begun to realize the needs of the people of the neighborhood. Could donations and contributions of food baskets donated by IPF, but it was still not in front of so much misery and disease. It was then that motivated by some brothers in early 1983 sought support from World Vision (a Christian NGO facing poverty and social exclusion). With the help of that NGO, they developed a work plan that prioritized in addition to Christian education, education and health.

After being priestly congregation of PCEA (Presbytery of Ceará. Only in 1998, is that it returns to the church until the present day.

"... Thus far the LORD helped us ..."