On July 9th, 2022, the Universal Church will celebrate its 45th anniversary. During this time men and women of God have had to overcome language and culture barriers to succeed in winning souls for the Kingdom of God. Thanks to those who took the courage, the Universal Church is established in 142 countries.

In recent months, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has shaken the world. In this moment of difficulty, the Universal Church volunteers stepped up by providing social and spiritual support to citizens and refugees.

Courageous pastors and volunteers from different parts of Europe mobilised to collect and send groceries. Thus, aid reached Ukraine and also the main countries that receive refugees: Moldova, Romania and Poland.

There were also many happy moments last year, like the opening of churches and the launching of projects.

But achievements don’t come without a lot of effort and hard work. For example, after 12 years working in the United Arab Emirates, it was only in June 2022 that the youth group (Força Jovem Universal – FJU) started to operate in this region of the Middle East. The desert heat also does not stop the work of salvation.

New churches were also opened on several continents: Florida and Alabama, in the United States; in Mozambique, in the African continent; in the city of Toyota, Japan; in the North Countries in Finland, in Panama and Paraguay.

We also reached the Fiji Islands, in Oceania. The Universal Church has been in Fiji since 2012 and has three temples and a monthly hub.

Courage is not a new ingredient in Universal Church’s walk of faith. It was essential, especially in its beginnings. After all, a young Edir Macedo decided to start it when he heard that his youngest daughter, Viviane, had been born with a cleft lip, which caused her much health issues. The story is in the book ‘Nothing to Lose 1’.

“My next step was to resign from the lottery. Once again feeling that uncertainty and fear. Friends and relatives insisted on making me back off from the idea, arguing that it was a trade-off between certainty and doubt. They argued that I should be patient, that it was better to wait for everything to settle down and not lose job security as we also had my own mother’s apartment foreclosed as well as young daughter dependent on medical treatment, paid for by State health.

I covered my ears and made the decision myself. Not even Esther knew the exact moment I resigned. I acted alone. The courage to do so did not come from me, but from the guidance and strength of the Holy Spirit. I was indebted to my word. I reminded God of my promise and carried out his promise from him. It was pure faith, no emotion.