Oséias de Madureira: Defends conservative agenda at Alesp – 03/20/2023 – Politics

Rookie in politics, without a gospel channel on YouTube or fame as a digital influencer, Pastor Oséias de Madureira (PSD) was the 29th most voted state deputy of the 94 parliamentarians who took over the Alesp (Legislative Assembly of São Paulo) on the 15th.

Gilberto Kassab’s party allocated BRL 500,000 to the pastor’s campaign, a figure comparable to or greater than that of some of the best-voted campaigns on the right, such as Tomé Abduch (Republicans), Lieutenant Coimbra (PL) and Bruno Zambelli (PL) –he enjoyed the popularity of his surname, he is Carla’s brother.

The 137,200 votes in Oséias, however, represent the strength of the evangelical mobilization, especially the powerful Ministry of Madureira, a branch of the Assembly of God.

Oséias is the political work of Bishop Samuel Ferreira, from the Assembly of God in Brás. Although he invested a symbolic R$2,500 in the pastor’s campaign, he is primarily responsible for this candidacy and all that came before it. Since 2010, Madureira has had a representative at Alesp.

Samuel Ferreira is influential in the evangelical elite. Son of former federal deputy Manoel Ferreira, who founded the National Convention of the Assemblies of God in Brazil, he travels around Brasília and has a worshiper page on Instagram. He was present in the group that celebrated with Michelle Bolsonaro the approval of the nomination of André Mendonça to the STF (Federal Supreme Court). “Glory to God”, they celebrated after choosing the minister appointed by former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

Ferreira was Bolsonaro’s electoral supporter in the last election, of former President Dilma Rousseff (PT) in 2014, ally of former President of the Chamber of Deputies Eduardo Cunha (MDB-RJ) and, recently, supporter of the re-election of Arthur Lira (PP- AL) in Congress. He even said at an event that his churches would only talk about Jesus and Lira.

Oséias says that it was Ferreira’s decision to choose his name for Alesp. “They saw in me the opportune name for nomination as a state candidate.”

The 49-year-old pastor, originally from Mogi das Cruzes, is a discreet man outside the pulpit. He claims that he never had political aspirations, but that he understood a little of the activity by getting involved in church campaigns, such as that of Cezinha de Madureira (PSD-SP), re-elected federal deputy and former leader of the evangelical group.

Hosea views his tenure as an instrument of God given him for four years “to serve the church, but also St. Paul.” He recalls that it was on a Sunday afternoon that he received an unexpected invitation from the bishop to attend church. He went to the place with his wife, Pastor Silvana Santos, thinking that he could be transferred to another city. The family, formed by the couple and two children, would accept whatever order it was.

“On that day, after the service, the bishop [Ferreira] said: ‘I prayed to God and his name has been burning in my heart, the convention is supporting his name. I wanted to invite you to be the church’s official candidate,'” Oséias told Fuxico Gospel, an evangelical coverage website.

Outside the altar –where he preaches with intensity and raises his voice when he “feels the presence of God”–, he speaks slowly, without exaltation. He says it is the sober style he must impress upon the Assembly. “I’ve been cautious. I don’t go thirsty to the pot so as not to be rash.”

Most of his memories are linked to religion. He jokes that he was practically delivered in the church and that he pretended to baptize the brothers. He comes from a believing family, but he was the first to follow the ministerial line.

Oséias took a theology course at the Escola das Assemblies of God and has already pastored in six churches in the east and north zones of São Paulo. He presided over the Madureira Assembly of God in the municipality of Sumaré and today is a pastor at AD Brás São Bernardo do Campo.

As a deputy, he intends to hold services on Sundays or Monday nights. Its main mission is to defend the interests of the church and be an important piece in Alesp’s chess when the discussion involves the customs agenda. He says that “every action will have a reaction” and that he will fight projects that “threaten Christian values”.

The pastor avoids criticizing opponents, allies, Tarcísio, Lula or Bolsonaro as much as possible. He also claims that his first bill is secret. He only demonstrates a lot of conviction when the agenda is “the biblical principle of the family”, basically the concept of the traditional family.

“I will defend the biblical principle, which is extremely against, as we believe, same-sex marriage. But I will respect it, without attacking.” He says he does not intend to present projects on the subject, unless he needs to react to progressive forces.

“I’m not against homosexuals, but against homosexuality, you know?”, he tries to explain, without success. He adds that he would never expel gays from the church, for example, but that he does not “condone homosexual actions”. He further states that everyone is welcome in the church.

Although the Christian view converges with Bolsonaro’s, the pastor does not intend to attack minorities, as far-right parliamentarians strategically do. “I think there’s a way for you to defend your convictions without being inelegant or aggressive.”

He thinks Bolsonaro’s behavior may have compromised his re-election. “Perhaps he did not speak the way he should have, this caused a lot of discomfort, but I defend that it was a government worthy of being applauded and respected. I voted and supported him, like the entire evangelical segment”, he says.

“Always remembering that I respect the left. Lula is there in the government and needs to be respected”, completes the kassabista.

Even if he avoids exposing what he thinks politically so as not to compromise, he has already let some judgments show.

“It is a difficult question to answer, but as a leader I can say that it is necessary to be at the side of those who are led in victory or defeat”, he said to the Fuxico Gospel journalist when asked about what he thought of Bolsonaro going to the United States after losing for Lula.

“The church would help much more if it went to the knee to ask for mercy than to the front of a barracks. Don’t get me wrong”, he said at another time, referring to the pastors who influenced believers in Bolsonarist camps.

On another occasion, he also defended that the carrying of weapons should be very restrictive.

A few days before taking office at Alesp, Oséias was mapping other deputies to strengthen the São Paulo evangelical group.

“I’m not one of those people who will attack the Universal Church, for example, I think we can converge towards a vision of unity and thicken the soup on this front”, he says. In your preliminary calculation, there are more than 20 colleagues.

Hosea does not indicate his future plan in politics, but he is surrounded by ambitious leaders. In a live shortly after the election, former state deputy and Madureira colleague Dilmo dos Santos addressed Cezinha and Oséias: “Congratulations to the candidates, who are just momentary choices, I’ve been through that”, he said. Everyone laughed. “It’s four more years and soon the projects will be bigger.”

The powerful Samuel Ferreira, also present, asked for the floor. “I’m just going to say something to you: my dreams are not over, they are monstrous. Close to what we’re living, it’s even scary to talk,” he said, without further details.

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X-ray | Oséias Santos da Silva, 49

Oséias de Madureira is a pastor of the Assembly of God and state deputy in Alesp for the PSD. From Mogi das Cruzes (SP), he lives in São Bernardo do Campo, where he is a pastor at ADbrás São Bernardo do Campo. He studied theology at the Assemblies of God Theological School in Brazil and has been a pastor in six churches. He has two children and is married to Pastor Silvana Santos.