Baptist Mid-Missions of Brazil
75th Anniversary: 1935 - 2010
Missionaries with last names starting with the letter
"J"
Last updated on November 9, 2009
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Benjamin and Daniele Jacobs
When Ben Jacobs made a survey trip to Brazil on the recommendation of former BMM missionary Lou Jurva, God started working in his heart. He returned to teach Ed and Shawn Alexanders’ children in Sorocaba, São Paulo. While he was teaching, God continued to work in his heart about returning to Brazil as a full-time missionary.
After returning to the United States in 2000, Ben joined Baptist Mid-Missions. In January 2003, he arrived in São Paulo and studied Portuguese at the missionary language school. During one the school’s six-week breaks, Ben became a world traveler, although he only left Brazil for a few hours at a time. He was living with a Brazilian family and their eighteen year-old son. The son and Ben became very good friends. During one of Ben’s language school breaks, he and his Brazilian friend traveled to Manaus, Amazonas, and from there visited Boa Vista, Roraima. They then did border runs into Venezuela, French Guiana, Columbia, Peru, and visited Benjamim Constante, Brazil. During the last four weeks of that six-week break, Ben traveled by bus and visited all of the state capitols in northeast Brazil while making his way to Bahia.
In January, Ben graduated from language school. After moving to Sorocaba, São Paulo, he began working in the Hope Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Esperança), in the Vila Jardini subdivision of Sorocaba, São Paulo. Ben taught the youth Sunday school class and helped with the Saturday evening youth activities for this church. Also helping at this church were BMM missionaries Ed and Jan Alexander and Mike and Dawn Jewell. In 2007, Shawn and Donna Alexander joined the team.
On March 19, 2005, Ben married Daniele (Dani) Custódio at the Calvary Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Calvário) in Sorocaba, São Paulo. Around the same time (early 2005), Dani Custódio became a short-term missionary with BMM. Ben and Dani moved to Curitiba, Paraná, in February 2006, where Ben served as the youth director at the New Life Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Nova Vida) in Vila Camargo (Vila Oficinas) until July 2006, and Dani studied in the Paraná Baptist Bible Institute (Seminario Batista Regular do Sul), in Pinhias, Paraná.
In July 2006, the Jacobs returned to the United States for Dani to join Baptist Mid-Missions as a full-time missionary. While in the states, they took a furlough, and Dani studied at the Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan.
Upon their return from furlough, Ben and Dani moved back to Sorocaba, São Paulo. There, they continued working in the Hope Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Esperança).
Mike and Dawn Jewell
Mike and Dawn Jewell joined Baptist Mid-Missions in July 1993. They arrived in Brazil on January 28, 1997, and spent their first year in language acquisition.
During their first term (1997-2000) they were privileged to be part of the church-planting team at the Calvary Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Calvário) in Sorocaba, São Paulo. This church is now under the direction of a national pastor and has approximately one hundred in attendance.
The Jewell’s second term began in August 2001 with the purchase of property for the building of the Hope Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Esperança) in Sorocaba, São Paulo. They ministered at Hope Baptist from 2001 to 2008. New Life Baptist Church (their team´s first work in Sorocaba), Calvary Baptist Church, and Hope Baptist Church are the only fundamental Baptist churches in Sorocaba – a city of over a half-million people.
Mike and Dawn’s philosophy of ministry is to allow God to use them in both the physical and spiritual construction of the church. In that process, they purchase a piece of property in a prime location of the city that has no fundamental Baptist work and begin to build the physical plant of the church. As they work on the building, they begin to see God working in the neighborhood and surrounding areas through evangelistic efforts such as VBS, youth ministry, children's Bible club, special meetings, regular Sunday church services, and Wednesday evening prayer meeting.
The Jewells´ ultimate goal is to see God glorified through the transfer of the planted church into the hands of a national pastor and his flock of believers. To date, the Lord has allowed their team to plant three churches in Sorocaba.
Albert & Doris Johnson
Albert Johnson joined Baptist Mid-Missions in August of 1954. He arrived in Brazil on April 6, 1955. He studied Portuguese in Fortaleza and then spent his first term teaching at the Seminário Batista Carirí, in Joazeiro do Norte, Ceará.
In 1959, Albert married Doris Iler. Doris joined BMM in July 1959 and arrived in Brazil on July 16, 1960. She studied Portuguese at the BMM language school in Fortaleza, Ceará.
In August 1962, they moved to Barbalha, Ceará. Barbalha is a city about 15 km away from Joazeiro do Norte, Ceará. When Albert and Doris Johnson moved to that town, a large sign was placed at the entrance to the city that read “Halt here Mr. Protestant! Barbalha do Santo Antonio is already evangelized.” The BMM history book Punching Holes in the Darkness has an excellent article about the “First Meeting held at Barbalha” on pages 41 through 43. The name of this church was First Baptist Church (Primeira Igreja Batista), centro, Barbalha, Ceará. Today this church is called the Diadema Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Diadema). Over the next 16 years, one church and sixteen congregations were started in that area. They built the buildings for this church in 1966 and 1967. In 1973 Doris says they “inaugurated” the church (maybe this was a building dedication). In 1976, this church called its first Brazilian pastor, José Durate de Barros. Bill Kettlewell and Ray Reiner filled in at different times for the Johnsons while they were on furlough.
From 1980 to 1989, Al and Doris Johnson ministered at the Rock of Ages Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Rocha Eterna), in the bairro of São Forquilho, in the city of Missão Velha, Ceará. The church raised the money to buy the property. Dougal Smith made a large donation to help build the church building. The church members finished the construction when the original funds ran out. Alcinete, a Brazilian missionary lady, assisted at this church. Today the mother church and Bible college students are assisting at this church.
From 1990 forward, Albert and Doris founded the Good News Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Boas Novas) in the center of Missão Velha, Ceará. This church started as a Bible study and grew into a church. Dougal Smith made a large contribution to this church planting project. A Brazilian missionary named Maria Alcinete da Conçeição also helped at this church. Doris supplied the information on the churches listed above.
The Punching Holes in the Darkness book (page 40) states that the Johnsons worked three years at Conjunto Palmeira, Ceará. They worked for two years at the Sitio Pedro de Fogo Guaramiranga. They also worked for one year at the Areolandia church in Fortaleza, Ceará.
From their June 1987 BMM work reports, they were working at the Sitio Forquilha church, in the city of Missão Velha, Ceará.
In March 1986/87 they opened a new church in Albras in the Belem, Pará, area. In 1992 they returned from furlough and moved to Petrolina. In 1996, they were ministering at three churches. They were working with believers in the Sitio Forquilha location. This church is called the Rock Of Ages Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Rocha Eternal). They were working at the Good News Baptist Church (Igreja Batistas Boas Novas) in Missão Velha, Ceará. They also were helping at the ministry in a villiage named Banca de Areias, 14 km from the city of Missão Velha, Ceará. Albert wrote the booklet: Why we do not belong the Convenção Batista Brasileira.
In July 1997 they were working with three churches in the city of Missão Velha, Ceará: Igreja Batistas Boas Novas; bi-monthly meetings at the Sitio Quimami; and Areias,
July 2000 they were working with many churches in Missão Velha and Barbalha, Ceará.
Albert taught at the Carirí Baptist Bible College (Seminário Batista Carirí) from 1955 to 1982.
Albert died in Brazil on July 25, 2002. He is buried in Brazil. After Albert´s death in 2002, Doris continued to work in Brazil. She retired from Baptist Mid-Missions on July 31, 2007. She now lives in Akron, Ohio.
Gordon and Becky Johnston
Gordon A. Johnston and Rebecca L. Johnston joined Baptist Mid-Missions in July 1973. They arrived in Brazil on December 12, 1975. Their port of entry was Belém, Pará, and they studied Portuguese in the language school in Fortaleza, Ceará. They finished their language studies in April 1977. In Portuguese, Gordon used the name “Seu Artur.” While Gordon and Rebecca were in language school, they taught part-time at Fortaleza Academy and helped in the Emmanuel Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Emanuel) in Fortaleza, Ceará.
Gordon and Rebecca Johnston were school teachers and they taught at the Fortaleza Academy for 15+ years while they were in Brazil. They helped out with whatever needed to be done at school. Gordon worked with the athletic department, girls softball, drama department, and, when needed, even class sponsor. Their primary ministry through the years was teaching at the Fortaleza Academy, but they also helped the following churches during their time on the field.
From September 1977 to June 1979, Gordon and Becky worked at the Antonio Bezerra Baptist Congregation (Congregação de Antonio Bezerra), in the Antonio Bezerra bairro, in Fortaleza, Ceará. This work was a congregation of the Central Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Central) in Fortaleza, Ceará. Pastor Percy and his wife Madalena had started this work and the church was meeting in a rented house. In June 1979, this church merged with another fundamental Baptist church just one (1) or two (2) kilometers away. The leadership of Central and their BMM Brazilian colleagues were in favor of this.
From July 1979 to June 1985, they worked at the New Jerusalem Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Nova Jerusalem), in the Conjunto do Ceará bairro, in Fortaleza, Ceara. This church was a congregation of the Mucuripe Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Mucuripe), in Fortaleza, Ceará. In 1983 they purchased property in the Conjunto do Ceará bairro and then the following year they started building the first phase of the church building. During their first year at this church, they worked with Walt and Carol Miller. After returning from their furlough in 1981, they worked with two Brazilian colleagues: Everton and Josemi Firmo. While Gordon and Becky were at this church, they officially organized the church on April 20, 1985. When Gordon and Becky went home on furlough, Erwin and Edna Evans took over the work. A national pastor was called during that time.
Gordon and Becky´s next church plant was the Bereiana Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Bereiana) in the Aerolandia bairro, in Fortaleza, Ceará. This church also was a church plant of the Central Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Central) in Fortaleza, Ceará. They ministered at this church from April 1987 to June 1991. Property for the church was bought about 1987 and then the church building was built in 1989. During their first year at this church, Gordon and Becky worked with Lyman and Helen Goehring from April 1987 to April 1988 and then the Goehrings left. Tom and Jill Miller joined the church planting team and helped with the youth from January 1988 until July 1990. Joel and Joan Troester also helped at this church while in language school from July 1990 to June 1991. Gordon described his ministry at this church as a “re-builder uppers” of an existing congregation. They organized the church on October 15, 1988, built and moved into a building in 1989, and then called a national pastor in 1991.
Gordon and Rebecca taught at the Fortaleza Academy from January 1976 to June 1991. Gordon also served as the Northeast Brazil Region Treasurer from 1978 to 1979, and then again from 1982 to 1984. Gordon also served as the BMM All Brazil National Treasurer from 1987 to 1990. Gordon and Rebecca Johnston resigned from Baptist Mid-Missions in November 1992.
After returning to the United States, they ministered at Heartland Christian School in Sebring, FL, from 1993 to 1995. Gordon was the school administrator, and Rebecca served as a dean and teacher. During the 1995-1996 school year, Gordon, ministered at Hillsborough Baptist School in Brandon, FL, as administrator and Rebecca taught at Temple Heights Christian School in Tampa, FL. Then from 1996-1998, they both continued teaching at Temple Heights Christian School in Tampa, FL. From 1998 to the present (2009), they have been teaching high school in the Hillsborough County Public School System (Tampa, Florida). Since 2004, they have attended the Heritage Baptist Church, in Lakeland, FL.
Bob and Corrine Jones
Bob and Corrine Jones joined Baptist Mid-Missions on August 1, 1960, and arrived in Belém, Pará, on August 10, 1961. They completed their language studies at the BMM language school in Fortaleza, Ceará. Bob hand Corrine made many friends on their block during their year in language school. When Bob and Corrine finished language school, their neighbors gave them a block party send off. Their neighbors wanted them to know that they were loved and that they would be missed. Charlie Hockings told them that no Brazilians had ever done that before for a missionary studying in the BMM language school in Fortaleza.
From 1962 to 1964, Bob and Corrine worked at the Leopoldina Regular Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Regular em Leopoldina) in the Leopoldina subdivision of São Paulo, São Paulo.
In 1964 the Joneses started the First Regular Baptist Church of Cubatão (Primeira Igreja Batista Regular Cubatão) in the city of Cubatão, São Paulo. The church is doing well today. Their next church plant was the Jardim Eldorado Regular Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Regular Jardim Eldorado) in the Jardim Eldorado subdivision of Diadema, São Paulo.
In the Jones’ mid-1983 South Region work report, they mentioned that Ron and Betty Dion left the work in Rio Claro in October 1982 and started helping him at the Eldorado work. In 1983, they were involved in construction and were hoping to be able to start meeting in their new building by July 1983. Their best attendance in May1983 was 70.
Bob and Corrine´s next church plant was the Regular Baptist Church of Diadema (Igreja Batista Regular em Diadema) in Diadema, São Paulo.
Bob was ready to start a new church when a pastor asked him to come and take over the Regular Baptist Church in São Jorge (Igreja Batista Regular em Jardim São Jorge) in the São Jorge subdivision of São Paulo, São Paulo. This very small church was meeting in a 30 year-old wooden portable tabernacle that had been supplied by an ABWE missionary. Bob assumed the leadership of this church, relocated it, and built the church´s current facilities. Land in São Paulo is very expensive, so Bob bought properties that other people did not want for building because of a steep drop-offs or the like. Bob liked building two story buildings for his churches, so he put the church sanctuary on the ground level and the Sunday school rooms underneath. At this church, he built a three-story building on a corner and two stories underneath. He dug out the property and started to put in a retaining wall to hold up the road. It started raining, and the construction workers could not build the retaining wall quickly enough. Bob had to spend an extra US$ 6,000.00 on the retaining wall when buildings at that time were costing about US$ 30,000.00 to build.
In November 1988, the Joneses started the Victory Baptist Church (Igreja Batista da Vitória) in the Jardim Leonor subdivision of Cotia, São Paulo. Bob and Corrine worked at this church from November 1988 to 1993. While at this church, Bob purchased land for the church, built the Sunday school rooms, and the church sanctuary. Bob and Corrine were the team leaders of this work and were assisted by Graham and Rene Foran and Jeff and Becky Thibedeau.
In 1993, the Joneses started the New Life Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Nova Vida) in the Parque dos Camargos subdivision of Barueri, São Paulo. Their team included: BMM missionaries Graham and Rene Foran, Chris and Darcy Vergiels, and Torrey and Faith Lasley. Jeff & Becky Thibedeau also worked as a part of the team. When Corrine was diagnosed with cancer, the Joneses returned to the United States, and Graham Foran assumed the leadership of this church planting project. Corrine went to be with the Lord on May 29, 1995.
After Corrine´s death, Bob returned to Brazil and worked once again at the Regular Baptist Church of Diadema (Igreja Batista Regular em Diadema) in Diadema, São Paulo. This church went through some hard times, and Bob came alongside and helped them through a very difficult period in their history (1997 and 1998).
In 1999, Bob retired from BMM and moved to Maranatha Village in Sebring, Florida. There he met former BMM missionary Helen Rowe who had served in Brazil from 1951 to 1967. Bob and Helen were married on December 29, 1999 and continue to live at the Maranatha Village. (Also see Helen Rowe)
Lou and Linda Jurva
Lou (Llewellyn) and Linda Jurva joined Baptist Mid-Missions in July 1986 and arrived in Fortaleza, Ceará, in August 1990. They studied Portuguese at the BMM language school there.
During their language studies, they attended the New Jerusalem Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Nova Jerusalém) in the Conjunto Ceará subdivision of Fortaleza, Ceará. Lou and Linda continued to work at the church after completing their language studies. Lou taught Sunday school and evangelism and was active in visitation, and Linda taught Sunday school and was active in the women’s ministries.
In July 1993, the Jurvas moved to Sorocaba, São Paulo, where they began working with Ed and Shawn Alexander in the New Life Baptist Church (Igreja Batista Nova Vida) in the Vila Formaosa subdivision of Sorocaba. Lou taught Sunday school and taught on Wednesday evenings. Linda helped in the nursery and in many other areas. Lou also helped out in the construction projects at the church.
Due to financial reasons, the Jurvas had to return to the United States to raise more support for their family. Even though they were there for a full year raising support and actively going after new support from churches, at the end of that year they had lost support and viewed this as the Lord closing the door for them to return to Brazil. In July 1996, the Jurvas resigned from BMM.
Since their return to the United States, Lou has pastored the Sheridan Road Baptist Church in Saginaw, Michigan. Under his leadership, the church has grown to over 200 people in an area of Michigan where the population is declining due to the area’s economic crisis.
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