Brazil

Igreja de Cristo O Salvador (ICOS), or Church of Christ The Savior, is a new church plant in the city of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. ICOS was started by a North American mission team composed of five families trained by Continent of Great Cities. The five families are Matt & Mary Virginia Mabery, Keith & Stacey Parker, Randy & Jennifer Porter, Russell & Valerie Quirey, and Travis & Alicia Sass.

ICOS opened its doors April 2, 2006.

The Raleigh Church of Christ provides some support to Russell and Valerie Quirey, who have been in Salvador since March of 2005. Valerie is the granddaughter of one of our members, and her father is a preacher in Canada.

About Salvador

Salvador is the third most populous city in Brazil, with nearly 3 million inhabitants. It is a city that is more African than Brazilian. People still worship the gods and goddesses brought over from Africa during the times of the slave trades. To many people here the God we worship is one among many. It is our task to proclaim to this city that He is the one true God, and that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior.

Salvador was the first colonial capital of Brazil, and is one of the oldest in the country and in the New World. It is also known as Brazil’s capital of happiness, due to its easy-going population and countless popular outdoor parties, including its street carnival.

The city of Salvador is notable in Brazil for its cuisine, music, and architecture, and its metropolitan area is the wealthiest in the northeastern region of the country. Over 80% of the population of metropolitan region of Salvador has African ancestry. The African influence in many cultural aspects of the city makes it the center of Afro-Brazilian culture. The historical center of Salvador is renowned for its Portuguese colonial architecture with historical monuments dating from the 17th through the 19th centuries and has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.

Salvador is located on the northeast coast of Brazil on a small peninsula that separates Todos os Santos Bay from the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The bay, which gets its name from having been discovered on All Saints’ Day, forms a natural harbor. Salvador is a major export port, lying at the heart of the Recôncavo Baiano, a rich agricultural and industrial region encompassing the northern portion of coastal Bahia. The local terrain is diverse ranging from flat to rolling to hills and low mountains.