On July 9, 1977, from inside a former funeral home in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro, as he preached to the few people present, no one could imagine that we were initiating one of the greatest movements of faith and solidarity that would soon win over Brazil and spread throughout the world.

For example, encouraging our 9 million faithful members to seek success in their careers and the material comfort they deserve.

Our 7,157 temples and cathedrals located throughout the states and Federal District and our 2,857 churches abroad are fertile ground to meet people who have reunited with life and are prosperous today.

Bringing together men and women that are alone, to help in their search for true love, forming couples and families, through the Love Therapy.

We rescue addicts from the hell of addiction. Only in 2016, more than 55 thousand people were helped through our Addiction Cleansing Therapy.

We have an outreach for the homeless, where a total of 560 thousand are helped per year. We socialize prisoners throughout Brazil. Among prisoners and their families, we do more than 837 thousand visits per year.

We helped 56,000 women, who were victims of domestic violence, through our Rahab program.

We mobilize millions of youths that are needy or without perspective in the pursuit of a future as good citizens through our Youth Group.

We offer affection and attention to 386 thousand seniors that have been abandoned by their families, through the Caleb program.

The strength to accomplish so much comes from one source: the Word.

Teachers, the true cornerstones of our society, know how much their words and actions can affect their students.

They form doctors, who exercise the art of healing; they forge engineers in the most varied aspects; architects who design houses, bridges and cities.

Teachers’ words also produce politicians and governors that create, oversee, and enforce laws to benefit the population.

If a teacher’s words shape those who will develop nations and incredible deeds, what about the Word of God, what can It do in the lives of those who practice It?

This Word never comes back empty. It is fulfilled, just as it is written, regardless of how much time passes. It is effective.

Well, it is because of this Word that the Universal Church works. And this is why it has overcome all sorts of adversity and is here today with relative success.

Success for having crossed borders, overcoming language barriers, customs, cultures, religions, ultra conservative societies and much more.

Success, however, is relative. There is still much to be done to spread this Word around the world. And this is our main focus.

This Word is the power of the Holy Scriptures flowing like the wind of the Spirit in the transformation of the lives that are recovered in every way. The Word of God is the reason we have come this far. And it is because of It that we are confident that we will achieve much more.

During its 40 years of existence, we, of the Universal Church, dedicate all of this to God and His Word.

We stand firm in the absolute conviction that Heaven and earth will pass away, but the Words of the Most High will by no means pass away (Matthew 24.35).