The world's largest Catholic country has the largest evangelical church in Latin America, with 15 per cent of the population professing an active evangelical faith in the latest census. In a population of 170 million people, that's a joyous and exuberant community 26,000,000 strong!

Brazil's megacities have mega churches, some of which are very wealthy by Brazilian standards. Evangelicals own nearly a thousand educational institutions and control 300 radio stations and TV channels. Five gospel music CDs are released each month.

Sadly, an unbalanced emphasis on 'health and wealth' in some churches has corrupted the gospel and resulted in scandals and damaged lives. Cults are increasing and spiritism still holds many people.

As evangelical churches continue to multiply and grow, the need for leadership training and theological education has never been greater. And as national churches flourish and raise up their own leaders, it is natural - and correct - that foreign leadership should decline. However there is still a lot of work to be done in the area that can be loosely described as 'training' but which covers all aspects of Christian development of leaders and church members at all levels of the church.

Adrian & Judith Stewart teach in churches and a seminary which trains pastors, missionaries and church workers striving to see “theology in action” in Northeast Brazil