November, 2002

"And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

Since Alta and I married 54 years ago, we have always been in the ministry of church planting. We have learned that when you have a permanent meeting place and a vigorous program to initiate a new mission, people will come to hear out of curiosity even though they do not have a special love for Christians. When the opening days come to an end, usually the crowds do also. It is then the war begins. The enemy lies and opposes with false religions. The hard work starts.

In 1956 we lived in Manaus. It went with missionary Royal Calley and four other Brazilian brethren to have services in a poor suburb where the wooden houses had palm leaf roofs. We were in the yard of the family's home. About five minutes after beginning the singing, 1,000 persons led by the Catholic priest surrounded us. A policeman appeared and said there was no way he could contain the crowd but offered his help to get us to the bus station several blocks away. The multitude followed close behind and tried to burn our clothes with the candles they were carrying.

After entering the small micro homemade bus, some people spit through the windows. They rocked the small bus from side to side, and the driver thought they were going to turn it over; we thought so, too.

In the late fifties, Baptist Faith Missionaries had started about ten small churches in Manaus. The city's population was eighty thousand. Today the population of Manaus is two million. Many churches were started in the following years by missionaries of BFM and other Baptist missionaries. Thousands had been saved and baptized. Many workers had been trained. In 1980 when Pope Joao Paulo visited Manaus, he cut his programmed visit short because the crowds were so small at his appearances. Baptist witness had changed the face of Manaus. "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy."

At Christmas time in December, 2001, I was overwhelmed to witness the great increase God has given. "Blessing, I will bless you and multiplying, I will multiply you." Our son, Paul, and the Tabernacle Baptist Church, had invited me to preach at the organization of 12 of their 28 missions into churches and the ordaining of 18 pastors. What a thrilling witness of God's promise keeping.

Brother Santiago was the first pastor of Tabernacle, I was the second, our son John Mark served as pastor of the church and director of the school and seminary for one year while we were home on furlough, and Paul has been pastor for 27 years. All of our children were saved and baptized while we were in this church.

During our first two terms, I built the Tabernacle building and the seminary building which had a capacity each of 350 persons. The school building served for the seminary, the Sunday School and the Baptist School. Today, the church and school buildings cover half of a city block, is under one roof and all air conditioned. All of this increase has been done without American finances. The Tabernacle church has one of the largest attendances of Baptists in Brazil. Praise God for such abundant harvest.

CHAPADA BAPTIST CHURCH: Chapada was the first church we organized in Brazil. It was started with twenty-three members and housed in a tiny thatched roof wooden building located in the boon docks. The growth of this church is a testimony to God's faithfulness. Today the church has a three story building with seating capacity of 700. It was built by the members without debt and without soliciting offerings even from their own members. The building was constructed under the faithful leadership of Pastor Vanderley de Melo. Also, this church has started and built buildings for several other missions.

David and Pennie work with this church. Under the leadership of David they have enlarged building capacity, bought land for additional parking and developed a seminary training program. The attendance averages 550. In a recent seminar for married people there were 200 couples who attended. In a special workshop on Courtship there were 950 youth from 86 Baptist churches who registered during the two-day seminar of five sessions. "In due time we shall reap if we faint not."

FROM NORTH TO SOUTH: Leaving Manaus in February of 1976, we moved to the city of Garca in the interior of the State of Sao Paulo. Work was started in three cities at the same time. We received a lot of opposition and especially after the directors of BFM gave us permission to use our car money to buy buses to give free transportation to church services. Cars with loudspeakers traveled the streets advising the people not to let their children ride on our buses. The priest then borrowed buses from the City Hall to run ten minutes before ours and they took the children to Catholic Sunday children's programs. In the schools some teachers told the children they would not pass if they attended our services. One priest held meetings of the mothers and advised them how dangerous it was to let their children get on our buses. He accused John and Alta Hatcher of kidnapping children.

HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED!!! School principals in and around Garca were so devastated because they did not know how to cope with the problems of drugs, sex and discipline in the school that they contacted Odali and Kathy because of their success in dealing with needy street children. They came and asked Odali to speak at their schools each week. Kathy takes their music and drama groups to schools on a regular basis. After the music and drama program one of the preachers from the Garca church brings an evangelistic message and gives an invitation. Many students have made professions of faith. The principals have said, "Do not ask when you can come; just call us and tell us when you can." The schools want them to come as often as possible. "You will reap if you faint not."

A WORD FROM MY WIFE, ALTA: First, I want to thank each of you who prayed for God to restore my health. After six months with a serious knee problem, I developed a violent cough like whooping cough which prevented me for six months from visiting from house to house and talking to people about how to be saved. God has been gracious to restore my health, so He must still have something for me to do. Thank you again for your prayers.

MANAUS: In December, we visited our sons in Manaus. I attended the Saturday night youth meeting with Paul and Wanda at the Tabernacle Baptist Church. There were 650 youth present in the main auditorium of the church. First, there was a wonderful time of singing. Following the music time they divided into groups of 10 to 15. Each person took his chair and the groups formed into circles. Each group has a leader and vice-leader who lead the group session. For twenty minutes they discuss their personal needs and blessings and make plans for their Bible studies and visits for the coming week. At the end of twenty minutes Paul went to the pulpit and announced it was time for the preaching.

What followed was really impressive. Each person took his chair and in less than two minutes the chairs were all back in place and the auditorium was in perfect order. All of this without any noise. They took their seats and Paul preached for forty minutes. The attention was so good you could have heard a pin drop.

Three weeks ago I was talking to Wanda by phone and asked how many they were having in the Youth Meeting. She replied, "Saturday night there were 896 present."

"Did you have a special program?" I asked.

"No, we do not have anything special or any drives because we do not have enough group leaders trained to form new groups. The division into small groups is very important to the individual spiritual development. The plans for visits, discipling and Bible studies are made in the groups for the following week. We must have more group leaders before we can have a drive."

In March, three months later, we were in Manaus again. I went with Paul and Wanda to the Youth Meeting. There were 1,200 youth, ages 15 and up. There were no special drives, just a lot of young people who love the Lord and want their friends to know Him. God be praised!!

We thank you for your faithfulness in praying and giving. Thank you for not fainting.

John and Alta Hatcher

John and Alta Hatcher married 54 years - 47 years in Brazil

Special recognition of John and Alta Hatcher as founders of the Baptist School of the Americas on the forty-first anniversary of the institution. Picture was taken in the newly inaugurated library of the school named the John and Alta Hatcher Library. Standing with them are two of their sons, Paul and David and Paul's wife, Wanda