João Paulo Thomaz de Aquino was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and was adopted just days later by a Presbyterian pastor and his wife, which was “an amazing thing that God did for me,” he shares. João grew up watching his father shepherd congregations across different cities in Brazil. From an early age, his calling felt clear, “Like my father, I want to be a pastor.” Decades later, João was accepted as a Langham Scholar and now pastors a church and teaches theology at two seminaries in Brazil. He has also recently had his thesis published by Langham.
João shares that when he learned he was adopted, he wrestled with his faith for a number of years. But at the age of 14, during a Word of Life camp, his faith became personal again as he had a renewed understanding: “I understood the gospel,” he explains. From that moment, his childhood desire for ministry was confirmed. At 19, he entered seminary to complete a Bachelor in Theology, and at 22 he was ordained as a pastor.
Today, João lives and ministers in the vast metropolitan region of São Paulo, an urban area of around 21 million people. “It’s a huge metropolitan area. It’s the most developed area in the country,” he shares. São Paulo attracts people from across the country. It is a city of opportunity and ambition, but also of sharp contrasts, where wealth stands alongside poverty, and natural beauty exists amid deep social challenges and corruption.
Brazil remains profoundly religious and spiritual. Catholicism has historically dominated, often shaped by syncretism and spiritualism. Evangelicalism has grown dramatically in recent decades, especially Pentecostal and neo-Pentecostal movements, but often without solid theological teaching. “We are a very religious people,” João explains.
But growth has not always meant depth. Many people are nominal in their faith or aren’t being taught from a solid biblical foundation. “The evangelical church is growing a lot here in Brazil. Most of it is not with good theology or good Bible preaching. Most of it is just feelings and shows and things like that.” While he rejoices in the spread of the gospel, he sees an urgent need for stronger theological foundations. “We need more theology, more biblical learning, more professors who are able to teach good theology,” he shares.
That burden shapes his life and ministry. João serves in three roles: adjunct professor of New Testament at the José Manoel da Conceição Theological Seminary and at the Andrew Jumper Graduate Center, part of the Mackenzie Presbyterian Institute, an educational network serving approximately 60,000 students across Brazil. He also pastors a church of around 300 members in São Paulo.
João first heard about Langham through professors who had themselves been Langham Scholars. “I was formed by Langham scholars and then I became a Langham scholar,” he explains. After completing a master’s degree in the United States, he wanted to pursue doctoral studies, but financial barriers made it impossible. “It was not very possible… it’s super expensive to go and get a PhD.”
Through Langham’s scholarship and partnership, that door opened. He completed his PhD at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago. The financial support was crucial. “Without it, it was not possible to study there.” Even with assistance, he worked tirelessly, translating theological books to support his family during his first year.
Langham’s impact extended far beyond funding. João speaks warmly of the pastoral care he received. His mentor would regularly check in, “He would call me many times and ask, ‘How is your wife?’ ‘How are your kids?’ ‘Are you doing your devotional every day?’” Reflecting on that season, João says, “After becoming a pastor I had never had this kind of pastoral care and it was amazing to be taken care of.”
His doctoral research, later published by Langham Publishing, is titled The Earth Is the Lord’s: Land Justice in Luke-Acts. He explored the theme of Jubilee and land in the Gospel of Luke, arguing that land ethics form a central thread in Luke’s theology. “If land is central in Jubilee and Jubilee is central in the gospel of Luke, then land should be very important in the gospel of Luke,” he explains.
In Luke’s Gospel and Acts, João describes that God is the ultimate owner of all things. Believers are stewards, called to use their resources for the good of others. “When we have land, we need to remember that this land is not ours, it’s God’s. So I need to use my land in a way that’s pleasing to God,” he shares. It is not enforced, but flows from a transformed heart that recognises divine ownership and practices generosity.
Back in Brazil, João sees enormous opportunity and profound need. Brazil is now one of the world’s largest missionary-sending nations. Yet theological training is lacking. “We really need evangelical biblical scholars in Brazil,” he explains. Across a country of more than 200 million people, he estimates there are only around 50 evangelical PhD theologians in Brazil. “With our huge country that’s nothing. We need churches which form people who love the Lord and who understand the Bible,” he shares.
Many pastors love the Lord but lack access to advanced theological education. As evangelical Christianity expands, João has begun to observe something new, nominal evangelicalism. “We are starting to see the movement of nominal evangelical Christians in Brazil. That was not common at all,” he shares. His prayer is for a revival marked not only by passion but by truth, “We need a revival. The kind of revival that has knowledge of the Bible and also the holiness of life.”
João has a heart for his nation to know Christ. In addition to his roles, he also helped found the Brazilian Evangelical Academy of Biblical Studies to help people read the Bible faithfully. He is also involved in efforts to establish the first evangelical theological PhD program in Brazil, a historic milestone that would strengthen theological education for generations to come.
At the end of this year, João will be transitioning from serving as senior pastor at his current church to joining a larger church and pastoral team. This move will enable him to focus more fully on academic ministry and help strengthen the Brazilian church to be grounded in Scripture, rich in theological depth, and faithful in mission.
Looking back, he sees Langham’s role as pivotal. It enabled him to pursue doctoral study, connected him to a global network, and provided pastoral care during a demanding season of life. “Knowing that there are institutions such as Langham that can help you go and study and come back and serve in your country, that’s huge. It’s great.”
We thank God for João and the impact he is having in Brazil, teaching the Word of God faithfully and equipping the next generation of leaders. Please pray for his transition to a new church, for the partnership to launch the PhD program to be successful, and for his family; his wife in her counselling ministry, his oldest son as he prepares for marriage, and his two younger children as they complete their studies.urch may bear fruit.
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