Pr Dan Oluwagbade Ogunwale, in Ibadan, Nigeria, recently organized a small seminar there for pastors and a few members to explain more of Maranatha’s doctrines, like asking God to speak through the Word and the urgent need to be active in outreach and evenaglism.  Here are some photos.

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Colossians 1:6 - “All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.”

The response to our recent evangelistic campaigns in Brazil – has been unprecedented. For us, this is a special moment, a final great harvest before the Lord returns. The photos here tell the story well.

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“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”  - Proverbs 22:14

“The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you.”  - Psalm 102:28

The Lord has called us to give as much priority to discipleship of our children as we do to the adults in the church; they are not just the “future” of the church, they are the “present” as well, real members.  

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“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.  - Mark 1:35 (NIV) 

“O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.” –  Psalm 63:1 (KJV)

“My soul yearns for you in the night;  in the morning my spirit longs for you.” – Isaiah 26:9 (KJV) 

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“Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.  When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim.” (Genesis 32:1-2)

“David went to Mahanaim...” (2 Samuel 17:24)

We use “Mahanaim” as the name for our seminar facilities in Brazil (Portuguese “Maanaim”).  We have several now in different parts of Brazil, where we have thousands of churches and a great need for places to hold large meetings).  Volunteers do all the construction and upkeep, keeping costs to a minimum.  Most of the facilities can hold over 1000 attendees for a weekend seminar; some can hold 4000.

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The word “Maranatha” itself is an ancient Hebrew-Aramaic phrase that meant alternatively, “the Lord is coming soon,” or “Oh, Lord, Come Soon.” It was part of the Jewish congregational prayers in the first century. The New Testament includes it in 1 Corinthians 16:22 (the Aramaic phrase is transliterated into Greek letters in the text). The phrase eventually came into English as a transliteration as well, along with a few other Hebrew words (”Hallelujah” and “Hosanna” are other common examples).

There are, of course, thousands of independent churches and ministries that use the name Maranatha (including a well-known music publisher), even though they are unrelated to each other. Some of these churches or groups have very different beliefs from one another. Our core beliefs and practices are explained in more detail throughout this website.

We use the name “Maranatha” out of obedience to the Lord’s directive – that our mission is to preach the imminent return of the Lord Jesus. Our body of churches began over 40 years ago with a small prayer group that had wonderful experiences with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This type of revival or outpouring has continued without ceasing, growing and flourishing within a healthy, structured Body. Today we have over 8000 Maranatha congregations in South America, about 30 in North America, and several dozen in Western Europe, India, and central Africa. There are also large networks of churches in the former Soviet republics with whom we have a good working relationship. If you would like more information about Maranatha, or information about our churches or house groups in your area, please email us.

As an organization, Maranatha Christian Church has more than twenty branches in Canada and the United States that are working directly under the leadership of Maranatha in Brazil. These congregations are mostly concentrated around Boston and in southern Florida.  

We are also interested in connecting with existing churches, house groups, cell groups, and microchurches that want to experience Maranatha’s approach to the Christian faith or to learn more about it.  Please contact us if you have an existing group or congregation that is not affiliated with Maranatha but would like to receive teachings or attend seminars or free workshops.  We are particularly interested in hearing from you if you are located in the Houston area, where our website team is based.  Please email us at askapastor@maranathaglobal.org.

If you are simply looking for a good church to attend in your area, and we do not have any congregations nearby with services in your language, we recommend that you check out our post on “How to Find A Church.”  

We hold to the classic truths of the Christian faith (including a belief in the Trinity, the Deity of Christ, Inerrancy of Scriptures, the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, and active participation in the Body of Christ). The name “Maranatha,” an Aramaic phrase referring to the Lord’s return, reflects our belief in the imminent return of Christ. Our focus is on fostering individual spiritual growth, learning to have God direct our lives, and working together as the Body of Christ.

Maranatha today is both an organization (that is, a denomination) and an overall approach to Christian spirituality and faith. On the denomination side, Maranatha is a close-knit group of churches (more than 8000 in 2009) based in Brazil, where it has its headquarters, leadership, and most of its pastors and churches (called “Igreja Cristã Maranata”). It also has a few branches in other Latin American countries, in North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, which work directly under the Brazilian leadership, and which strive to be identical to the Brazilian churches except in the language used in their services.

Unlike most churches, we encourage pastors to support themselves with secular careers and volunteer their time and talents to the service of the Lord, rather than receiving support or salary from the church. Some Maranatha pastors are attorneys, physicians, accountants, and engineers; others are small business owners, taxi drivers, construction contractors, etc. The lay membership of the local church takes an active role in both the spiritual and practical functions within the church, including many of the functions traditionally performed by full-time ecclesiastical personnel.

In addition, Maranatha churches never solicit offerings during our services or ask visitors to identify themselves or sign up for anything. Our services typically last for an hour or less, and involve singing a few contemporary hymns, prayer, and a brief message from the Bible. Readers who are curious about the official doctrine of the church may find our more detailed Statement of Faith helpful.

As an overall approach to Christianity, we are a growing community of loosely affiliated churches and ministries around that world that are implementing the same basic teachings. We are having similar experiences with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and God’s continuing guidance, direction, and revelation.

We hope that this introduction proves helpful to you. We desire to share with you some of the joy and peace that the Lord has put in our hearts. We have a received a tremendous blessing in Maranatha and we are eager to share it with others. We are not looking for other churches to change their name to “Maranatha” or to merge with our organization; nor are we able to provide financial support to every group that requests it. We simply want to spread the blessings of God’s revelation to as many people as possible. We welcome and desire inquiries through this website by pastors or groups of believers who share similar goals and would like to learn more. If you would like one of our pastors to contact you, please send us an email.

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Maranatha Church Services Description

“For God is not a God of disorder but of peace…everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.”  - 1 Corinthians 14:33, 40

PLEADING THE BLOOD OF JESUS TO BEGIN: The brother who is designated beforehand to lead the worship in that service (usually a deacon or worker) goes to the pulpit at the exact moment the service is supposed to begin.  The worship leader greets the church briefly (one sentence) and asks everyone to kneel together to plead the Blood of Jesus.  Of course, people can stand if they find kneeling difficult.   continue