A New Portuguese Assembly In Rhode Island LOI 1982-2
From BrethrenPedia
An INTEREST photo report
Intro
"One out of seven is Portuguese! That's an unexpected statistic for any part of old New England. The east-central edge of Rhode Island and parts of adjacent Massachusetts, however have seen a tremendous influx of immigrants over the last few years. They joined the many Portuguese already in the area, the children and grandchildren of hardy Portuguese fishermen, who settled in seaports like New Bedford and Fall River. As a result, today 130,000 of Rhode Island's 900,000 people (one in seven) and about 40% of Pawtucket's 80,000 people are Portuguese. Many of these people continue using the language of their homeland, and the newer ones often know little or no English.
The new Americans are immigrants, but not refugees. They come, for the most part, from the Azores, rather than from mainland Portugal. The Azores are a group of islands in the mid-Atlantic, politically a part of Portugal but separated from that European nation by a thousand miles of ocean.
1976
In January of 1976, Carlos and Margarida Cerqueira came from Angola by way of Portugal to evangelize these people, and if possible to plant a Christian testimony in their midst (INTEREST, June 1976, p. 12). They came at the suggestion of former Angola missionary T. Ernest Wilson, and with the invitation of John Farrell and the Buttonwoods Bible Chapel in Warwick, Rhode Island. Carlos poured himself into Gospel meetings, home Bible studies, and door-to-door evangelism, all the while supporting his wife and three sons with a full-time factory job. Others came along to help as well, and by July 1980 they were able to hold a large baptism and begin the Lord's supper with the new converts.
The new assembly was composed of Portuguese-speaking people primarily from the Azores, but also from mainland Portugal and the Cape Verde Islands. Within a year the growing assembly was in desperate need of a building of its own. Meetings were held on Sunday afternoons in the old Pawtucket Gospel Hall, but that building was about to be sold. It was at this point that a remarkable example of assembly teamwork took place. It grew first out of the heart burden of several Christians who had a concern for the struggling new assembly. John Farrell was one of them. John McCallum of Stewards Foundation was another. Then there was Robert and Barbara Campbell of the Groton Bible Chapel in Connecticut. The Cerqueiras had been living in the home of Barbara's mother in Rhode Island.
Encouraged by these and other people, the brethren of several English-speaking assemblies met with the Portuguese Christians to see if a building could be obtained in Pawtucket. An obvious possibility was to try and buy the Hall that the Portuguese assembly had been using. It was 65 years old, and needed some remodeling, but it was well constructed, and located in the area where Portuguese immigrants were concentrated. Three assemblies were prepared to donate $5,000 each toward the purchase. Stewards Foundation was willing to provide mortgage funds at an attractive rate of interest. Other assemblies would help with the remodeling costs. And the Portuguese assembly would take on monthly payments commensurate with their ability. But all of this together fell well short of the asking price of the building.
1981
Now it was the turn for the old Pawtucket assembly to enter the picture. That meeting dated back to Central Falls, Rhode Island, in the late 1800's. The Pawtucket hall had been opened April 9, 1916. In recent years, the assembly dwindled. It ceased functioning in mid-1981. The remaining Christians put the building up for sale, intending the disperse the proceeds in various aspects of missionary work. Missions start at home! What better opportunity to serve the Lord than to play a major role in establishing a strong Portuguese testimony in Pawtucket itself. So the Christians made a major reduction in the asking price, and then on top of that made a large contribution toward the purchase.
It was possible to avoid a great deal of legal work by transferring the legal corporation rather than the real estate title to the new assembly. After the dispersal of the purchase-price funds (the donations and mortgage money), a new group of trustees was installed, representing the Portuguese brethren. In addition, the three assemblies contributing purchase money were asked to provide one trustee each. These were Good News Chapel in Attleboro, Mass., Buttonwoods Bible Chapel in Warwick, R.I., and Groton Bible Chapel in Connecticut. It is anticipated they will continue to be represented in the ownership of the property until the new assembly develops its own leadership.
Assemblies sharing in the renovation of the building included Andover Bible Chapel (Andover, Mass.), Countryside Bible Chapel (Lexington, Mass.), Prospect Gospel Chapel (Hartford, Conn.), West Woods Bible Chapel (Hamden, Conn.), and the Portuguese assembly in Harrison, New Jersey."
Praise and Thanksgiving
"On Nov. 21, 1981, a service of praise and thanksgiving was held. Christians from ten assemblies in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island joined with the Portuguese believers in dedicating (or rededicating) the building to the Lord's continuing glory. The entire service was bilingual. All the spoken parts were translated into English or Portuguese as needed. The singing was often simultaneous in both languages.
Robert Campbell was Master of Ceremonies. David Ward brought greetings from Groton Bible Chapel. Arthur Stebbings from Good News Chapel in Attleboro, and Frank Pontes from the new assembly, Igreja Evangelica. Russ Hadley of Groton and Antonio Costa of Igreja Evangelica provided musical leadership. Two Portuguese brothers gave personal testimonies. Frank Pontes and Antonio Costa have been co-workers with Carlos and Margarida. Frank is an 81-year-old Portuguese brother who gives himself to visitation and is well received. Tony, a young man, is involved with Carlos is radio broadcasting, and helps with the young people and the music. Like Carlos, he is a refugee from Angola, but Tony came by way of Brazil instead of Portugal. (For more details on the development of the new testimony, and the background of the workers, see INTEREST, July/Aug. 1981, p. 22).
In the service of praise and thanksgiving, John Farrell gave a history of the Portuguese work. James Stahr of INTEREST magazine brought a message on the planting and growth of a new assembly as seen in Acts 11:19-26. His message was translated by Candido De Sousa, an evangelist serving among the Portuguese of New York and New Jersey (INTEREST, Nov. 1976, p. 16; March 1978, p. 10). At the conclusion of the meeting a first-time visitor trusted Christ as his Savior. Contemplating suicide, he had phoned earlier in the day, seeking help, and had been encouraged to come to the evening program.
During the last several years many others have phoned, seeking spiritual help. In fact, the telephone answering machine, bearing a two-minute recorded message, changed every day, has proven the most effective method of evangelism among the Portuguese. It is difficult to make direct contact with immigrants from the Azores, who tend to be very religious, but also very superstitious. A word from a priest can end a home Bible class. But the telephone message can be heard day after day, and often in the middle of the night. Then, when the individual is ready for a personal visit, he can record his own message on the answering machine. Since it was installed in Dec. 1979, this "dial-a-message" phone ministry has averaged 80 calls a day, and produced more than 150 follow-up contacts.
At Carlos' request, Cravo Branco was brought from Portugal in 1977 to help in the work. He had been a radio preacher and evangelist in Angola. His presence was especially important when Carlos was ill with tuberculosis for the first half of 1978. Cravo and his family are now in the Buttonwoods assembly, and ministering to Portuguese people at home and abroad by radio. Carlos carries on the Pawtucket ministry, concentrating on door-to-door visitation, pastoral follow-up, and home Bible studies with individuals.
Carlos is still employed, and consequently has been much overloaded, as well as unable to devote the time needed in the growing ministry. Until recently he has been reluctant to step out in full-time work lest he become a "professional" in the eyes of the Portuguese. He is anxious to see them appreciate the uniqueness of a New Testament assembly, and step into places of responsibility. With limited time and health, and with opportunities on every hand to reach, help and hold people for Christ, his decision is not an easy one. He would no doubt appreciate the prayers of Christians for himself, as well as for the happy and growing Portuguese assembly in Pawtucket."
