Urban missions and family breakdown among Brazil partner’s focuses

Founded in 1992, the Faculty of Evangelical Theology in Curitiba (FATEV) is one of OC’s five Brazilian partners. The interdenominational school of 90 graduates offers theological education focused on urban missions and committed to students’ character formation. FATEV’s main training is a four year bachelor program, in addition to the two year extension program in northeastern Brazil, weekend training and correspondence courses.

A great challenge facing Brazilian society and evangelical churches today is the breakdown of the family. FATEV’s character formation program stimulates the students to allow faith to mold their relationships and to work on their difficulties. In their last year of studies, students also participate in practical ministries, oftentimes far from Curitiba. Some examples include a non-governmental agency that works with the recovery of street children and the Vila Nori project which has planted a church in a nearby slum area where violence and drug trafficking are prevalent.

FATEV models cooperation, sharing curriculum and teachers with two other theological seminaries. The school is currently seeking support to improve their library software and hardware, enabling residential and extension students to access library materials from outside of FATEV. The school is in talks to establish a theological electronic magazine for all institutions in Curitiba as well.

Master’s student Airton H. Palm works with Mission Zero, a mission agency that has planted seven churches in a poor area of northeast Brazil. Airton is coordinating the leadership training program for the young churches, giving him “a chance to do deep study about interesting subjects…In the classroom, we are able learn from each other and the different experiences everyone has had…All of this takes into account the context in which we live.”