Brazilians in American churches
The Brazilian community in the US has grown quickly, with large clusters around Boston and Framingham, in Newark and the Ironbound, and in Orlando and South Florida. Many Brazilians come from an evangelical background, Assembleia de Deus, Batista or one of the many independent churches, and some find a Brazilian church nearby. Many others end up in an American church because it is close, because their kids made friends there, or because a coworker invited them.
Those families often stay for years. The parents work long hours in English, but a sermon is different from a job site: it asks you to listen, reflect and respond, and that is easier in the language you pray in. A teenager who switches between English and Portuguese all week may still want the sermon in Portuguese when the topic gets personal.
Two options: Brazil and Portugal
ChurchTranslate offers Portuguese (Brazil) and Portuguese, the European variety used in Portugal and the Azores. For most US churches the Brazilian option is the one to switch on. A parish in Fall River, New Bedford or the Central Valley of California, with families of Azorean and mainland Portuguese descent, may prefer the European option for its older members. You can switch on both, and each listener picks the one that sounds like home.
Where it makes a difference
- Combined services in churches that have a Brazilian ministry alongside the English congregation.
- Weddings and baptisms with family flying in from Brazil who speak no English. See weddings, baptisms and funerals.
- Catholic parishes with Brazilian and Portuguese parishioners who attend an English Mass when there is no Portuguese Mass at a time that works.
- Brazilian churches that preach in Portuguese and want their US-raised kids and visiting friends to follow in English.
How listeners use it
- 01Scan
The QR code is on the screens or in the bulletin. Many churches also share the link in the ministry's WhatsApp group before Sunday.
- 02Choose Português
No account and no install. It works in the browser on any smartphone, and there is also an iOS app.
- 03Listen or read
The translated voice follows the pastor a few seconds behind, with Portuguese captions on screen. Audio can be switched off for those who only want to read.
What to expect
The translation follows the flow of a sermon, prayers and announcements well. Bible names and church terms are the hardest part; ChurchTranslate keeps a terminology list per language and corrects known terms in the captions, but it is not perfect, and a Brazilian pastor might choose a different word than the translation does. For a pastoral conversation, a person who speaks Portuguese is still better.
Cost
One credit is one minute into one language, used only while someone listens. A 90-minute service into Brazilian Portuguese uses 90 credits. If you switch on both Portuguese options and only the Brazilian one is used, you only pay for that one. Plans start at $65 a month for 480 credits. See the pricing.