Pentecostal Church “God is Love” ( port . Igreja Pentecostal Deus é Amor, IPDA ) is a Christian Protestant church based in Brazil . It carries out missionary work in 136 countries of the world [1] and unites 3 million believers [2] [3] .
According to the 2010 census in Brazil itself, there were 845 thousand parishioners of the church [4] . There are 17.5 thousand communities throughout the country, of which 4.3 thousand have their own church building. The headquarters of the church is located in Sao Paulo .
The motto of the church is a quote from the Bible:
 | God is love1 John 4 chapter |  |
Content
- 1 History
- 2 creed
- 3 notes
- 4 References
History
The Pentecostal church “God is Love” was founded by missionary David Martins Miranda (born in 1936). Growing up in a Catholic family in southern Brazil, Miranda moved to São Paulo at the age of 22, where he converted to Pentecost . Unemployed in March 1962, David founded the church, the first members of which were his mother and sister. The new denomination was registered on June 3, 1962. In the same year, the church launched the Voice of Liberation radio program, which aired without interruption until today.
Within a short time, a number of other Pentecostal São Paulo communities joined the church. Through missionary activity, the God Is Love churches appeared in all states of Brazil. The Pentecostal Church “God is Love” is a predominantly urban Pentecostal movement.
In 2004, a national temple of denomination was opened in São Paulo - the Temple of God of Glory , containing 60 thousand parishioners. At the time of the opening, it was the largest church building in the world [5] .
Large branches of the church operate in Paraguay, Uruguay, Peru and the African continent. In Europe, the church is represented mainly among the Brazilian diaspora.
Creed
The Pentecostal Church “God is Love” refers to the Pentecostal two blessings . The Church believes in the possibility of the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the signs of speaking in other languages . Great emphasis in service is placed on the possibility of physical healing .
Believers adhere to strict moral rules and standards of conduct. So, in the church, it is not welcome to watch secular television programs, listen to secular “worldly” music, or engage in professional sports. Men, becoming full members of the community, cannot work in positions requiring the use of weapons. Women do not use cosmetics, contraception, do not wear gold jewelry and trousers.
Notes
- ↑ Histórico da Igreja Pentecostal Deus é Amor (Link unavailable) . Date of treatment March 1, 2013. Archived on August 27, 2007.
- ↑ Religious Bodies of the World with at Least 1 Million Adherents
- ↑ Encyclopedia of Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity
- ↑ [1] População residente, por situação do domicílio e sexo, segundo os grupos de religião - Brasil - 2010
- ↑ O Templo da Glória de Deus (unavailable link) . Date of treatment March 1, 2013. Archived January 25, 2012.