Brazilians in British and Irish churches
Brazilian Christians are among the most visible newcomers in many churches in London and Dublin. They come to study English, to work, or because family members are already here. Many are evangelical and used to lively, long services; many are Catholic and slip into the local parish. Some start Portuguese-speaking congregations of their own. Others join an English-speaking church and get stuck in straight away: on the worship team, in the kitchen, in the youth work.
Even so, a new arrival who is still in English classes will miss much of a sermon. A live sermon translation into Portuguese lets them understand the teaching from the first Sunday, and it lets the church welcome their parents when they visit from Brazil.
Portuguese and African Portuguese-speaking families
Portuguese workers have long been part of towns with food processing, agriculture and hospitality, as well as Jersey and Guernsey. Angolan, Mozambican and Cape Verdean Christians also attend churches across the UK. Their children grow up in English, while parents and grandparents are more at home in Portuguese. Translation lets a family sit together in one service, each following in the language that suits them.
One Portuguese option
Visitors choose one Portuguese option; there is no separate Brazilian and European version. Brazilians and Portuguese understand each other well, though listeners may notice the odd word or turn of phrase that sounds different from home. Bible names and church vocabulary are the hardest part of any automated translation. ChurchTranslate keeps a terminology list per language to correct known terms, but it is not perfect. See Bible names and terms.
How listeners use it
- 01Scan the code
From the screen, a card or the church's WhatsApp group. The page opens in the browser on any smartphone.
- 02Choose Português
No account and no download needed. There is an iOS app as well.
- 03Listen or read
The translated voice follows the preacher a few seconds behind, with captions on screen. Listeners can turn the audio off and just read.
For the church
Your sound technician broadcasts from a laptop or phone, ideally with audio from the mixing desk. Set English as the speaker language and switch on Portuguese, and Spanish too if you have Latin American members from Spanish-speaking countries. Read the how-to guide for the full setup.
Cost
A two-hour evening service into Portuguese uses 120 credits, whether it is one listener or a whole row of students. Credits only run while someone listens. See the pricing.