OMS-trained Japanese Immigrants Start the Work in Brazil

The mission work of OMS in Brazil traces its roots to Japanese immigrants that moved to Brazil in the 1920s. In 1908, thousands of Japanese migrated to Brazil to work in coffee plantations. Three brothers from the OMS denomination in Japan, the Japanese Holiness Church, migrated to Brazil in 1925. They soon started the Japanese Holiness Church in Brazil that reached out to the 40,000+ Japanese Brazilians.

OMS Begins Work in Brazil

The first OMS missionaries arrived in Brazil after WWII. In 1950, they established work in Brazil. The growing young city of Londrina, in the frontier state of Paraná, was chosen as a place to begin the work. During the early years, they worked closely with the existing Japanese church. From the beginning, OMS missionaries had a vision to evangelize, train leaders and raise up a national church in Brazil. During the first decade of work, OMS was involved in evangelism using a number of strategies.

The Missionary Church is Started

OMS started a Brazilian Portuguese-speaking wing of the Japanese church in 1954. OMS also founded the Londrina Bible Seminary for training Christian leaders this same year. In 1962, there was a peaceful separation between the Japanese and the Brazilian wings of the church. OMS focused its resources and missionaries on partnering with the New Brazilian church, which took on the name, “The Missionary Church.”