Evangelical Parliamentary Front
# Evangelical Parliamentary Front

The Evangelical Parliamentary Front or the Evangelical Caucus (known in Portuguese as Frente Parlamentar Evangélica and Bancada Evangélica respectively) is a loosely organized group of Evangelical lawmakers in the Brazilian government and legislature.

If considered a political party, the Evangelical Caucus would be the third largest in the Brazilian government, surpassed only by the Brazilian Democratic Movement and the Workers' Party. It is a proeminent feature of Conservatism in Brazil.

## History

The Evangelical Parliamentary Front was founded in 2003 to bring together Evangelical parliamentarians, from all political parties, at the National Congress Palace in Brasilia, Brazil.

The regularization of the FPE on the board of directors of the Chamber of Deputies only occurred on November 9, 2015, motivated by the exponential growth of the bench, a process that began with the significant election of 60 federal deputies who declared themselves evangelicals in the 2002 election.

## Leadership

The evangelical caucus has no formalized leadership; however João Campos de Araújo, Anthony Garotinho, Eduardo Cunha, Lincoln Portela, and Magno Malta were considered the unofficial leaders of the caucus in 2013.

## Membership

The Evangelical Caucus of Brazil has no defined standard of membership but is generally open to all Protestant lawmakers in the Brazilian legislature, including mainline denominations as well as members of evangelical and Pentecostal movements.

The caucus was formed especially because Brazil's fast growing Protestant population was underrepresented in government, and as is the norm Catholic and non-religious politicians are not allowed to be members. Converative Catholic politicians are usually not considered to be part of the evangelical caucus, certain politicians such as Hugo Leal and Jair Bolsonaro often collaborate with the caucus.

Although the Evangelical Caucus is often perceived by the media, its members, and supporters to be conservative/right wing, it is worth noting that a few members are affiliated with left-wing politics in Brazil, such as Benedita da Silva, Marina Silva, and Walter Pinheiro.

## Influence on politics

The evangelical front is often seen as part of the rising Evangelical influence in politics in Latin America. The evangelical vote was seen as key in the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff and the election of Jair Bolsonaro in the 2018 election.

## Prominent members

### Senate of Brazil

The following past and present members of the Brazilian Senate that are/were affiliated with the Evangelical caucus

| Name | term | state | party | denomination |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Marina Silva | 1995–2003 2008–2011 | Acre | PT PV | Assembleias de Deus |
| Benedita da Silva | 1995–1998 | Rio de Janeiro | PT | Assembleias de Deus |
| Magno Malta | 2003–2019 | Espírito Santo | PR | non-denominational Evangelical |
| Marcelo Crivella | 2003–2018 | Rio de Janeiro | PRB | Universal Church of the Kingdom of God |
| Walter Pinheiro | 2011–2016 | Bahia | PT | Baptists |
| Eduardo Lopes | 2012–2014 2016–2019 | Rio de Janeiro | PRB | Universal Church of the Kingdom of God |
| Guaracy Silveira | 2018–2019 | Tocantins | PSL | International Church of the Foursquare Gospel |
| Zequinha Marinho | 2019– | Pará | PSC | Assembleias de Deus |
| Marcos Rogério | 2019– | Rondônia | DEM | Assembleias de Deus |
| Eliziane Gama | 2019– | Maranhão | PPS | Assembleias de Deus |
| Arolde de Oliveira | 2019–2020 | Rio de Janeiro | PSD | Baptists |
| Flávio Bolsonaro | 2019– | Rio de Janeiro | PSL | Baptists |
| Mecias de Jesus | 2019– | Roraima | PRB | Nova Vida Baptist church |
| Luis Carlos Heinze | 2019– | Rio Grande do Sul | PP | Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil |

### Chamber of Deputies

The following past and present members of the Chamber of Deputies that are/were affiliated with the Evangelical caucus

| Name | term | state | party | denomination |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Arolde de Oliveira | 1984–2019 | Rio de Janeiro | PSD | Baptists |
| Flávio Rocha | 1984–1995 | Rio Grande do Norte | PTC | Comunidade Evangélica Sara Nossa Terra |
| Benedita da Silva | 1987–1995 2011– | Rio de Janeiro | PT | Assembleias de Deus |
| Marina Silva | 1991–1995 | Acre | PT | Assembleias de Deus |
| Moroni Torgan | 1991–1995 2015–2019 | Ceará | DEM | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
| Edson Coelho Araújo | 1995–2001 2011–2017 | São Paulo | PDMB | Presbyterian Church of Brazil |
| Walter Pinheiro | 1997–2011 | Bahia | PT | Baptists |
| Magno Malta | 1999–2003 | Espírito Santo | PR | non-denominational Evangelical |
| Luis Carlos Heinze | 1999–2018 | Rio Grande do Sul | PP | Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil |
| Silas Câmara | 1999– | Amazonas | various | Assembleias de Deus |
| Lincoln Portela | 1999– | Minas Gerais | PRB | Solidarity Baptist Church |
| Josué Bengtson | 1999–2007 | Pará | PTB | International Church of the Foursquare Gospel |
| Carlos Manato | 2001–2019 | Espírito Santo | PDT | Igreja Cristã Maranata |
| Jefferson Alves de Campos | 2002–2006 2008– | São Paulo | PSD PSB | International Church of the Foursquare Gospel |
| Zequinha Marinho | 2003–2015 | Pará | PSC | Assembleias de Deus |
| Onyx Lorenzoni | 2003–2019 | Rio Grande do Sul | DEM | Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil |
| Jorge Tadeu Mudalen | 2003–2019 | São Paulo | DEM PMDB | International Grace of God Church |
| Eduardo Cunha | 2003–2019 | Rio de Janeiro | PMDB | Comunidade Evangélica Sara Nossa Terra |
| Gilberto Nascimento | 2003–2007 2015– | São Paulo | PSC | Assembleias de Deus |
| João Campos de Araújo | 2003– | Goiás | PRB | Assembleias de Deus |
| Hidekazu Takayama | 2003– | Paraná | PSC | Assembleias de Deus |
| Antonio Bulhões | 2007– | São Paulo | PRB | Universal Church of the Kingdom of God |
| Vinicius Carvalho | 2007–2011 2014– | São Paulo | PRB | Universal Church of the Kingdom of God |
| Cléber Verde | 2008– | Maranhão | PRB | Assembleias de Deus |
| Paulo Freire Costa | 2008– | São Paulo | PR | Assembleias de Deus |
| Márcio Marinho | 2008– | Bahia | PRB | Universal Church of the Kingdom of God |
| Marco Feliciano | 2011– | Rio de Janeiro | PODE PSC | Assembleias de Deus Cathedral of Avivamento/Gideões Missionários da Última Hora |
| Pastor Eurico | 2011– | Pernambuco | PATRI PHS | Assembleias de Deus |
| Aguinaldo Ribeiro | 2011– | Paraíba | PP | Brazilian Baptist Convention |
| João Henrique Caldas | 2011– | Alagoas | PSB | International Grace of God Church |
| Laercio Oliveira | 2011– | Sergipe | PP | Presbyterian Church of Brazil |
| Ronaldo Fonseca | 2011–2018 | Distrito Federal | PODE PROS PR | Assembleias de Deus |
| Edmar Arruda | 2011–2019 | Paraná | PSD PSC | Independent Presbyterian Church of Brazil |
| Francisco Floriano | 2011–2015 | Rio de Janeiro | DEM PR | Universal Church of God's Power |
| Anthony Garotinho | 2011–2015 | Rio de Janeiro | PR PRB | Presbyterian |
| Missionário José Olimpio | 2011–2018 | São Paulo | DEM PR | Universal Church of God's Power |
| Fernando Francischini | 2011–2019 | Paraná | SD PSL | Assembleias de Deus |
| Bruna Furlan | 2011– | São Paulo | PSDB | Christian Congregation in Brazil |
| Clarissa Garotinho | 2015– | Rio de Janeiro | PR PRB PROS | Presbyterian |
| Ronaldo Nogueira | 2015– | Rio Grande do Sul | PTB | Assembleias de Deus |
| Alexandre Serfiotis | 2015– | Rio de Janeiro | PMDB | Fazei Discípulos Apostolic Church |
| Áureo Lídio Moreira Ribeiro | 2015– | Rio de Janeiro | SD | Methodist Church in Brazil |
| Ezequiel Teixeira | 2015–2019 | Rio de Janeiro | SD | Projeto Vida Nova |
| Tia Eron | 2015–2017 | Bahia | PRB | Universal Church of the Kingdom of God |
| Rosângela Gomes | 2015– | Rio de Janeiro | PRB | Universal Church of the Kingdom of God |
| Sóstenes Cavalcante | 2015– | Rio de Janeiro | DEM | Assembleias de Deus |
| Johnathan de Jesus | 2015– | Roraima | PRB | Nova Vida Baptist church |
| Geovânia de Sá | 2015– | Santa Catarina | PSDB | Assembleias de Deus |
| Stefano Aguiar | 2015– | Minas Gerais | PSD | International Church of the Foursquare Gospel |
| Jony Marcos | 2015– | Sergipe | PRB | Universal Church of the Kingdom of God |
| Alan Rick Miranda | 2015– | Acre | DEM PRB | Forest Evangelical Baptist Church |
| Lucio Mosquini | 2015– | Rondônia | MDB | Brazilian Baptist Convention |
| Toninho Wandscheer | 2015– | Paraná | PROS | Assembleias de Deus |
| Antônio Jácome | 2015–2018 | Rio Grande do Norte | PODE PMN | Assembleias de Deus |
| Lindomar Garçon | 2015–2019 | Rondônia | PRB MDB | Assembleias de Deus |
| Franklin Lima | 2015–2019 | Minas Gerais | PP | Universal Church of God's Power |
| Fábio Fernandes de Sousa | 2015– | Goiás | PSDB | Igreja Fonte da Vida |
| Christiane Yared | 2015– | Paraná | PR | Catedral do Reino de Deus |
| Altineu Côrtes | 2015– | Rio de Janeiro | PR | Assembleias de Deus |
| Fausto Pinato | 2015– | São Paulo | PP PRB | Christian Congregation in Brazil |
| Liziane Bayer | 2019– | Rio Grande do Sul | PSB | International Grace of God Church |
| Manuel Marcos | 2019– | Acre | PRB | Universal Church of the Kingdom of God |
| Marcos Pereira | 2019– | São Paulo | PRB | Universal Church of the Kingdom of God |
| Felipe Francischini | 2019– | Paraná | PSL | Assembleias de Deus |
| Otoni de Paula | 2019– | Rio de Janeiro | PSC | Assembleias de Deus |
