Dr. Roberto Coelho and his wife Patricia are missionaries in Brazil, and are home on furlough for this school year.
Dr. Roberto Coelho
I was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1976, while my father was attending Central Baptist Theological Seminary. At the age of three, my family returned to Brazil, where my father has served as a national pastor and church planting missionary. I had the privilege of being involved early on in the ministry in the areas of music, youth, and evangelism.
In 1994, I started attending the University of São Paulo, where I graduated in 1997 with a double major in English and Portuguese. In 1998, I completed my teaching Licensure Degree at the University of São Paulo. In 1998, I married Patricia, the very first convert of my father’s church planting ministry in São Paulo. She was saved at the age of 14, having come from a Catholic background.
Shortly after we got married, we moved to Minnesota in order to attend Central Baptist Theological Seminary. We became members of Fourth Baptist Church in Plymouth and I worked at FedEx while in seminary. I graduated from Central Seminary in 2002 with a Master of Divinity (M.Div.).
During our seminary training, the Lord burdened us to go back to Brazil as church planting missionaries. In October of 2002, we applied to Baptist World Mission of Decatur, Alabama. I was commissioned and ordained by Fourth Baptist Church in 2005. We arrived back in Brazil in 2005 to begin our ministry.
We began our church plant in the western section of São Paulo in 2006. We completed the church planting ministry of Faith Baptist Church in Cotia, and have turned the ministry over to a national pastor.
In 2021, I was able to complete the Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) degree at Central Seminary. I plan to continue teaching in seminaries as the Lord opens doors to address the great need of training national pastors. During our ministry in Brazil, I have been involved in teaching modular classes in several seminaries throughout Brazil, both in the college and master level.
The Lord has blessed us with three kids. Samuel is 16, Sophia is 14, and Isabella is 13. We praise the Lord that all three of our children have placed their faith in Jesus Christ.
Our desire is to obey the Great Commission in making disciples of Jesus Christ through evangelism, discipleship, and the training of nationals. I plan to be involved in teaching and in church planting when we return to São Paulo.
I am currently back in the U.S. on furlough, reporting to our supporting churches and teaching two Bible classes at Fourth Baptist Christian School. I continue to assist the ministry of Faith Baptist Church in São Paulo. ◼ ~ Dr. Roberto Coelho
