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| One church worships in three languages By Michael Wacht |
KISSIMMEE — “How joyous Jesus Christ must be that John is making the word of God available to people of all cultures, languages and countries,” said the Rev. Alexandre Oberlaender, pastor of the recently formed Brazilian congregation at First United Methodist Church, Kissimmee.
Oberlaender is referring to the Rev. John G. Willis Jr., senior pastor at the Kissimmee
church, which is home to three congregations ministering in three different languages,
including the first Brazilian congregation in the Florida Conference.
Oberlaender is the newest member of the pastoral team there, which includes Willis and the Rev. Hildeliza Amores, a local pastor serving First Hispanic United Methodist Church.“We now have six different services in three different languages every Sunday,” Willis said, adding that there are three services in English, two in Spanish and one in Portuguese.
Because of the international nature of tourism and other industries in Kissimmee Willis said the church is a very international congregation. “What’s happening in Kissimmee is a reflection of what’s happening in America, in terms of blending of the races, only it’s happening at a faster rate in Kissimmee. On a regular basis in worship, we have 20 people from the West Indies and Caribbean,” he said. “On World Communion Sunday, we have people serving from Czechoslovakia, England, Jamaica; native Americans, Filipinos…”
Amores, who has served the church for seven years, says the Hispanic congregation includes people from Puerto Rico, Cuba, El Salvador, Venezuela, Peru, Argentina and the Dominican Republic.
Oberlaender began his ministry in Florida in August 1997, after being sent to the United States by Bishop Paulo Liekmann of Rio de Janeiro to start a Methodist congregation for Brazilians in Kissimmee. The Methodist church in Brazil initially provided financial support for the ministry, but financial crises in the church and nation have forced the Brazilians to withdraw their funding, according to Willis. Willis said the church found a short-term financial solution and is seeking more funding sources.
This past August the church held joint services and invited members of all three congregations to worship together. “We sang, prayed and spoke in Portuguese; we sang, prayed and spoke in Spanish; and we even managed to work in a little English,” Willis said.
New members were also welcomed into the church. “We welcomed 15 Anglos and 40 Brazilians, not including the children and babies,” Willis said. “Ninety percent or higher in the Brazilian congregation a year ago had no relationship with Jesus Christ, and they will tell you how their lives have changed because of this church.”
The new members helped the Kissimmee church meet a year-old goal — to have 2,000 members by the year 2000. Willis said he was not optimistic about the goal when it was set, but said he is proud that the church is “the newest 2,000-member congregation in the Florida conference.”
Regarding having the first specifically Brazilian congregation in the history of the conference, Willis said, “I think it’s something that God really wanted us to do.”
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