The centrality of Scripture
Reading, preaching and studying the Bible stand at the center of church life and guide its decisions.
Grounded in Scripture, centered on Christ.
We are a church of the Congregational tradition, rooted in Reformed Christian theology, that exists to glorify God, proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and serve our neighbor.
To glorify God, proclaim the Gospel, serve our neighbor.
Since 1970, the church has gathered in Pombal to worship God, hear the preaching of the Word and live in fellowship. That same faith led it to the Sertão, the Seridó and the Amazon, and it is expressed in caring for children and families.
We do not seek to promote people, but to present Jesus Christ — the only foundation on which the church is built.
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
A Reformed heritage.
The five solas sum up convictions recovered by the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century. In simple terms, they express the heart of the faith we proclaim.
Sola Scriptura
Scripture alone
The Bible is the Word of God and the supreme rule of faith and practice for the church.
2 Timothy 3:16–17
Solus Christus
Christ alone
Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and humanity, the center of our preaching and worship.
1 Timothy 2:5
Sola Gratia
Grace alone
Salvation is God's undeserved gift, not the result of human merit.
Ephesians 2:8–9
Sola Fide
Faith alone
We are justified before God through faith in Christ.
Romans 5:1
Soli Deo Gloria
To God alone be the glory
All of life — worship, work and service — exists for the glory of God.
Romans 11:36
Convictions that shape the life of the church.
A summary of what we believe. The full statement of our faith is the Confissão de Fé Congregacional (Congregational Confession of Faith), adopted by the church.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ
We proclaim Christ crucified and risen, through whom God reconciles sinners to himself.
Salvation by grace through faith
We receive salvation as God's gift, not by works, so that no one may boast.
Worship
We gather to worship God with reverence and joy, in prayer, song and the ministry of the Word.
Fellowship and discipleship
We grow together in faith, caring for one another and learning to follow Christ in every area of life.
Evangelism and missions
Since its founding, the church has carried the Gospel beyond Pombal — to the Sertão, the Seridó and the Amazon.
Christian service
Faith is expressed in love for our neighbor, in caring for children, families and communities.
The Christian Church, Congregationalists and Confessions of Faith
The history of Christianity is living testimony that Christians, from early on, confessed and published their beliefs through declarations of faith. When doctrinal problems arose, theological definitions about God, about Christ and about other doctrines of the Christian faith required much reflection. In response, the Church convened councils, studied the disputed questions and drew up its creeds.
With the rise of Protestantism came its first expressions of faith, in a journey that culminates in Congregationalism. This history shows that neither the Christian faith in general nor Congregationalists in particular are averse to confessions: expressing beliefs in written documents is an inherent part of the history of Christianity and of Congregationalism.
Faithful to this heritage and affiliated with the Aliança das Igrejas Evangélicas Congregacionais do Brasil, the Congregational Evangelical Church of Pombal holds as its confession of faith the Confissão de Fé Congregacional (Congregational Confession of Faith), the Alliance's Declaration of Faith.
Pastor Felipe Oliveira
Church pastor since October 14, 2026
Elected by the church, Pastor Felipe Oliveira was installed as pastor of IEC Pombal on October 14, 2026, continuing a pastoral journey that began in 1970.
The Congregational tradition
Congregationalism is a Protestant tradition born of the Reformation that values the authority of Scripture, the fellowship of the members and the participation of the local congregation in the life of the church.
In Brazil, this tradition goes back to the missionary work of the Scottish physician Robert Reid Kalley, begun in 1855 in Rio de Janeiro.
The Congregational Evangelical Church of Pombal is affiliated with the Aliança das Igrejas Evangélicas Congregacionais do Brasil (Alliance of Congregational Evangelical Churches of Brazil).