Baptist Mid-Missions of Brazil
75th Anniversary: 1935 - 2010
Missionaries with last names starting with the letter
"A"
Last updated on November 8, 2009
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Edward and Jan Alexander
In 1982, Edward and Jan Alexander joined Baptist Mid-Missions. In March 1986, they arrived in São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. They studied Portuguese in the language school for missionaries in São Paulo and completed their language studies in March 1987.
Since their arrival in Brazil, they have worked in the following churches:
In November 1986, they co-founded the Maranatha Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Maranata) in the subdivision of Itangua I (Jardim Simus), Sorocaba, São Paulo. While at this church located on Rua Luvizotto Cato, the Alexanders worked with Marv and Diane Fray and Bill and Cindy Griner.
In 1989, they co-founded New Life Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Nova Vida). This church is located at Avenida Atanazio Soares 2094, in the subdivision of Vila Formaosa, Sorocaba, São Paulo.
In 1998, they co-founded Calvary Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Calvario) on Avenida Santos Dumont 265, in the subdivision Ana Maria, Sorocaba, São Paulo,.
In 2002, they co-founded Hope Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Esperança) on Rua Rio Branco 1188, in the subdivision Vila Jardini, Sorocaba, São Paulo.
From these four church plants, nearly thirty students have attended one of Baptist Mid-Missions’s seminaries, and seventeen are currently in full-time Christian work.
Since 1999, Ed has taught block courses at the Parana Baptist Bible Institute (Seminário Batista Regular do Sul) in Curitiba, Parana. In addition to teaching piano and hymn playing at the Bible Institute, Jan has also published several CDs and choir books.
In 2004, Ed and Jan began a yearly music conference hosted by the Bible Institute in Curitiba. Now serving as interim pastor of Victory Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Vitória) in Weissópolis, Pinhais, Parana, Ed is the director of the Bible College in Curitiba. He is on the board of directors of the MBBF -Missão Batista Brasileira Fundamentalista (Brazilian Fundamental Baptist Mission).
Shawn and Donna Alexander
Shawn and Donna Alexander joined Baptist Mid-Missions in 1986. In 1988, they arrived in Brazil through the Guarulhos, São Paulo airport. At the São Paulo language school for missionaries, they studied Portuguese and graduated in June 1989.
Shawn and Donna started their missionary career at the Maranata Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Maranata) in Sorocaba, Sao Paulo. This church is located on Rua Luvizotto Cato in the subdivision of Itangua I (Jardim Simus). In November 1986, this church was founded by Marv and Diane Fray, Bill and Cindy Griner, and Ed and Jan Alexander. In June 1988, Shawn and Donna Alexander arrived and helped as much as their limited, but developing, language skills would allow. Harry and Beverly Lippert were instrumental in erecting the buildings and in helping the work. In 1989, this work was completed and nationalized.
In 1989, Shawn and Donna co-founded the New Life Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Nova Vida) with Ed and Jan Alexander. At Avenida Atanazio Soares 2094, in the subdivision of Vila Formosa, Sorocaba, São Paulo, BMM missionary Bob Jones found the land for this church. In May 1989, Bob Jones was asked by Shawn to help look for land for this church. While walking down a main avenue, Bob located a small, hand-painted “For Sale” sign (Vende-se). After buying the property for $16,000, the Alexaders felt as if they received a bargain for the 3,300 square meter lot. After many trees were removed, the land was leveled to begin construction in 1989. Over a six-year period, a number of American construction teams helped with building projects. Coming often to Sorocaba, Harry and Bev Lippert not only helped with construction of the church but also worked with the deaf. In this church, Shawn´s main responsibilities were preaching, developing each construction phase, and working with the youth program. Donna was able to begin a women’s ministry, a discipleship program for women, and teacher training classes for Sunday school. In November 1989, the church held its first service. This work was nationalized in 1997. For the past two years, Pastor Sidnei has been pastoring this church. Both he and his wife Elizane were saved and disciple. The Lord has tremendously blessed in this church and has called many young people and married couples into full-time ministry. At present, this church has fourteen former members working full-time in the ministry around Brazil.
In 1998, the Calvary Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Calvário) was founded. Located on Avenida Santos Dumont 265, in the subdivision of Ana Maria, Sorocaba, São Paulo, this church was founded by Ed and Jan Alexander, Mike and Dawn Jewell, Celso and Angela Botelho, and Shawn and Donna Alexander. After the property was purchased in 1996, construction of the Sunday school wing was started in 1997. The first service was held in the partially completed building in January 1998. From 1998 to 2003, approximately fifteen teams from the United States helped in construction, outreach, and evangelism. In this church, Shawn´s responsibilities were teaching, preaching, youth ministries, and the development of the construction phases. In addition to developing a women’s ministry, Donna also taught Sunday School classes, trained Sunday school teachers, and implemented women’s visitation. In June 2003, this work became fully indigenous. For the past eight years, a former youth from Shawn and Donna’s second church plant, Pastor Alexandre, has been pastoring this church. From this church, eleven young people and a couple have attended Bible college. Three are serving the Lord in full-time capacity.
Since 2002, Shawn and Donna have been working at the Hope Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Esperanca). Shawn and Donna Alexander, Ed and Jan Alexander, Mike and Dawn Jewell, Ben and Dani Jacobs, and Celso and Angela Botelho founded this church. This church is located on Rua Rio Branco 1188, in the subdivision, Vila Jardini, Sorocaba, São Paulo. In 2001, many American churches contributed to purchase land for Shawn and Donna’s fourth church plant. Once more, a number of work teams arrived to help lay block, pull wires, and cover the building. Shawn and Donna´s ministry has been teaching, preaching, training leadership and deacons, and continuing the final stages of church construction. From this church, two youth and one couple have attended Bible college. At present (October 2008), Shawn and Donna Alexander are searching for a national pastor to lead the church.
In addition to his church planting ministry, Shawn has also served in the following areas:
1. Board of the Seminário Batista Regular do Sul (1995 -2008)
2. Vice-President of the BMM South Region Field Council (1999, 2001)
3. President of the BMM South Region Field Council (2002)
4. Development of a youth program called Pro-Teens in three of the Alexanders’ churches
Other information from Shawn and Donna Alexander (in their own words):
In March of 1988 Donna and I arrived along with our 7-month-old son, Shawn Jr. This was a new world for us, a new culture and language. God prepared two servants to help us along the way as we made purchases, looked for a home to rent, bought a car and began to settle into language school and a ministry. It seemed that each day we had a different question to ask, a concern about cultural differences, or just plain old adapting to a new life. Bob and Corrine Jones were weathered and experienced missionaries that made our heavy load seem light, encouraged our feeble attempts at Portuguese, and made us feel as if we were part of their family. We will be eternally indebted to their sacrificial help and faithful encouragement as we embarked on a new way of life that sometimes left us discouraged. The interesting twist to this story is that Bob and Corrine did this for virtually every new missionary that arrived in Sao Paulo for a number of years (those missionaries with Baptist Mid-Missions and many who were not). Hebrews 6:10 states “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”
Byron (Sr) and Dora Atha
This information was gleaned from Punching Holes in the Darkness, p. 148.
Byron and Dora Atha joined Baptist Mid-Missions in July 1976. They arrived in Brazil on October 20th, 1979. After completing language school, Bryon and Dora moved to São Miguel do Guamá in Pará. They also went up river by boat to hold services at Hermes and in Casuada. These works met in mud huts along the river. Bryon and Dora resigned from BMM in July 1987.
Byron and Michele Atha
Byron and Michele Atha were accepted by Baptist Mid-Missions in 1992. They arrived on the field in August of 1994. Their port of entry was in Fortaleza, Ceará, and they studied Portuguese in the BMM Language School in that city. They finished their language studies at the end of 1995. In Portuguese, Byron´s name is pronounced “Bairon.” Therefore Brazilians know him as Pastor Bairon.
While the Athas were studying Portuguese, they worked with Dan Stowell at the Castelão Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Castelão) in the Castelão subdivision of Fortaleza, Ceará. Byron held the most noble of all noble missionary church planting job descriptions. It was also one of the most longed for, desired positions that many Baptist church members strive for throughout their lives. According to Bryon, his ministry at this church was a “pew warmer.” This, of course, was at the beginning of his language study. He gave a helping hand where he could and as his language abilities progressed, he was demoted from pew warmer to active worker. His real ministry began after graduation from language school.
After graduating from language school, Byron and Michele started working with Bruce and Carol Dennis in the Regular Baptist Church in João XXIII (Igreja Batista Regular de João XXIII), in the João XXIII subdivision, in Fortaleza, Ceará. This church started when members of the Madeira Cortada Baptist Church moved from the interior to Fortaleza. A small group was meeting in a house when Johnny Nunley introduced the Athas to the work.
Byron and Michele worked at this church from February 1996 until May of 2003. While they were at this church, they bought a parsonage for the church. In addition to helping to pastor this church, Bryon also helped in construction. This church was officially organized in May of 1999.
The Athas´ next ministry was at the Faith Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Regular da Fé), in the Montese subdivision in Fortaleza, Ceará. They ministered at this church for about a year from May 2003 until May 2004. Byron served as an in interim pastor at this church after a church split.
Since May of 2004 until the present, Bryon and Michele have worked at the Marantha Regular Baptist Church Congregation (Congregação Batista Regular Maranata), in the city of Sobradinho in the state of Bahia. His main ministry at this church has been that of a pastor.
Bryon served as the Northeast Brazil Region treasurer two terms of two years each. He taught at the Fortaleza Baptist Academy during the eight years he was in Fortaleza. Michele also taught there as well. During 2001 and 2002, he was the Fortaleza complex director. And from 2004 until the present date (2008), Bryon served as the Treasure Island Camp Director.
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