A river of people floods a closed highway, shuffling down the pavement in droves. With hands raised, they chant, sing, and shout praises to the Lord. Nearly half the crowd is clad in white, “Jesus Vencedor Invicto” printed in large block letters across their backs. 

“Jesus, Undefeated Victor.” 

Annually, thousands and thousands of Christians participate in Brazil’s Marcha para Jesus, or, March for Jesus. The 2023 march drew two million people, making it one of the largest evangelical gatherings in the world. 

Beginning at a train station in northern São Paulo and ending at a large plaza 4.6 kilometers away, the event is open to anyone who wants to proclaim the gospel and celebrate the Good News. As the crowd walks, music echoes from the buses driving alongside them while several church leaders encourage participants and lead them in prayer. Once the march reaches the plaza, renowned Christian artists take to the stage for a time of worship commemorating the event. 

After the March began in London in 1987, Apostle Estavam Hernades, a founder of the Church Reborn in Christ, started the Brazilian chapter in 1993. With the first March attracting 350,000 people, the event quickly gained traction, more than doubling attendance the following year. By 2009, Marcha para Jesus was so significant an occasion that former President Lula da Silva included it on the national calendar. 

Hernades has continued his position as president of the event, his passion for spreading the gospel growing stronger through the years. 

“The March represents the union of people, the communion of all who believe in Jesus Christ,” he explains on the event’s website. “He is our redeemer, for he gave his life for us on the cross. Our desire is to bring a message of peace to the country. Jesus is the only way to restoration.”

The March’s popularity is one representation of the exponential growth that evangelical Christianity has experienced in Brazil this the past decade. According to NPR, evangelicals made up 31% of the national population in 2020, with the number continuing to rise – a staggering statistic for a country that was 90% Catholic in 1970. 

As one explanation for this spike, Brazilian anthropologist Juliano Spyer notes that the evangelical church offers the empathy and practical resources that several individuals are looking for.

“If you lose your job, there is an infrastructure for you to receive help. If your kid is involved with drugs, you can find a lawyer. So it’s hugely attractive being part of that organization.” 

“People are coming from all different sorts of places,” Spyer adds. “They’re disconnected from their families. And the church becomes this substitution for a family.”