The Universal Church arrived in Mozambique, which is southeast of Africa, 22 years ago. Today there are over 200 churches in the country. Having gained their independence from Portugal 40 years ago, the people of Mozambique still face guerrillas, economic difficulties and social inequalities.

Over the past two decades, the Universal has promoted the spiritual and material well-being of local citizens, through volunteer work and social outreach programs.

This work caught the attention of the country’s president, Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, who visited the Church in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique. The head of state, who was accompanied by his wife, Isaura Nyusi, told the local press that he was impressed with the Church’s outreach in support of the nation’s population, such as the center’s free job training course.

However, as was reported in local newspapers, the highlight was that the President accepted the Church’s request to have him speak to his opponent, Afonso Dhlakama, to discuss the electives for peace in the country. “Formally and in response to the request made by the Universal Church, Filipe Nyusi invites Dhlakama to meeting,” said the headline on the cover of Mozambique Diary, for example. The request for this peace summit to take place was made by Bishop Jean dos Santos, responsible for the evangelistic work in Mozambique, and João Leite, responsible for the evangelization in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) – who was specially invited for this visit of the head of state to the Church –, and Pastor José Guerra, founder and president of the Church in the country.

During his visit, the President received a tour of the Church and was presented with the “Nothing to Lose” trilogy, which recounts the life story of Bishop Macedo. Then he went into the main hall, where the official ceremony took place. More than 3,500 people attended the meeting, thousands gathered outside the Church where they were able to participate by watching on large projector screens, and others in neighboring cities and countries participated by videoconference. There were also several celebrities and representatives of the Government present, such as the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Constitutional and Religious Affairs, Abdurremane Lino de Almeida and the governor of Maputo, Iolanda Cintura.

Everyone had the opportunity to hear about the two types of faith, the positive and the negative, and the importance of Salvation. The President was thankful for the message and was keen to stress that he learned how to fight against negative thoughts when confronted with major conflicts.

Nyusi was also thankful for the invitation, and the way he was received. He encouraged the Church to continue its work, which is aimed at the physical and spiritual well-being of the population and he expressed his desire to visit the Temple of Solomon in Sao Paulo later this year.

After the meeting, Bishop João Leite gave the president and his wife two portraits and two sculptures of artistic and cultural value. The first portrait captured the first visit of the head of state to the Universal in 2014, when he was a presidential candidate.

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