Our History
A Brief Historical Sketch
The Beginnings
Fellowship has been the welcome place for English-speaking Christians since 1921. It had its origins in the Protestant nonconformist movement in São Paulo and was given the name “The Union Church of São Paulo.” Worship was held regularly in the Y.M.C.A for several years. The pulpit was filled by visiting or local pastors, missionaries or laypersons. Due to political unrest in the mid-1920s , many people left Brazil and the organization interrupted its activities in 1925.
The Organization
In late 1927 a Sunday church school was launched, once again at the Y.M.C.A., with Irving Gallyon, as the first superintendent. The adult class members decided to resume regular worship services following the church school sessions. The first worship service was held in April,1930.
In 1933 the Sunday program was transferred to Mackenzie College where it continued until 1944.
In 1942 a formal constitution was adopted and officially registered, at which time the name “Igreja Cristã Unida de São Paulo” was chosen. The name in English became “Fellowship Community Church”.
The Site and Building
Once the congregation was officially registered, under the direction of Dr. Benjamin Hunnicutt (then President of Mackenzie College), the present site was located and purchased (June 1944). The original building on this site was São Paulo’s first radio station. Worship was held therein, beginning July 9, 1944, with few alterations required.
In 1953, as a wonderful culmination to a vigorous fundraising campaign, the present sanctuary was dedicated, and in 1960 the present education building was inaugurated.
From 1921 to present day
Over the years Fellowship has been blessed with able leadership, both lay and ordained. Among those who ministered at Fellowship are the following pastors: Revs. T. B. Duncan (1939-51); Kenneth Estey (1951-54); John Hammons (1954-62); Dr. Russel Galloway (1965-71); Ward Williams (1971-76); Dr. Bickford Lang (1976-88); Jaap Wielhouwwer (1989-90); Daniel Dahl (1991-2000) Dr Davi Charles Gomes (2001-2006). After an interim of guest speakers and ministers, in 2007 the pulpit committee invited Gavin Aiken to be Fellowship’s pastor-teacher .
The decades of 1960 and 1970 were marked by tremendous growth at Fellowship, being the high watermark of membership and attendance. During the late eighties and nineties, with the changes in the makeup of the English-speaking expatriate community in São Paulo (Fellowship’s main focus up to that period) the congregation experienced some decline in membership and attendance, but it remained steady in its purpose and call. In 2001 Fellowship added an informal evening service in Portuguese. In 2007 English classes with Christian messages given on weekdays increased Sunday worship attendance considerably.
There have been changes in the form of administration over the years, but the purpose early adopted has remained stable: “To worship God, and bear testimony to the evangel of Jesus Christ, especially among the English-speaking people of São Paulo”. It is that same spirit that Fellowship now expresses through its motto: “Committed to worshipping God, fellowshipping with one another and serving together.”
Fellowship continues to be a faithful and vibrant congregation and to strive to provide ongoing freshness and vigor to those who seek to be Christian disciples.