The Presbyterian Church of Brazil (IPB), one of the country's most traditional and influential evangelical denominations, elected Reverend Juarez Marcondes Filho on Monday (27) as president of its Supreme Council.
The religious leader won the runoff election against Reverend Robinson Grangeiro, current chancellor of Mackenzie Presbyterian University, which is affiliated with the IPB.
As of now, the IPB leadership has not published an official statement with consolidated vote tallies, but the victory was confirmed to reporters by sources following the council's deliberations, the organization's highest governing body. Marcondes had previously served as executive secretary, a more operational role in the church's day-to-day administration — Grangeiro was elected to take over that position.
Having led the Central Presbyterian Church of Curitiba (PR) for years, Marcondes is viewed within ecclesiastical circles as a moderate figure. His rise comes at a moment when the denomination, situated within historical Protestantism, is experiencing intense internal debates about its pastoral and institutional direction.
The new president's term will be shaped by sensitive agendas requiring political skill to build bridges between the denomination's different factions.
The role of women within the church's structure remains one of the most contentious issues. In 2022, at its last quadrennial meeting, the Supreme Council imposed severe restrictions on women's participation in church life, including preaching at "solemn services" and distributing Holy Communion. Women, who were already barred from ordination as pastors, found their space further reduced.
The involvement of Presbyterian leaders in political and social debate, particularly in support of Bolsonarism, has also generated internal friction over the limits of the IPB's institutional role in the public arena.
Another sensitive point: the need to engage with the demands of younger generations without dismantling theological cohesion with the more conservative wings of Presbyterianism.
Even the compatibility of Legendários with the IPB's Reformed doctrine came under scrutiny. A report presented by leaders from Tocantins questions whether the movement should be prohibited for church members, on the grounds that it relies on coaching methodologies that, in the assessment of the commission responsible for the document, end up relativizing the sufficiency of Scripture and the work of Jesus Christ.
In an interview for a Presbyterian channel held before the election, Marcondes presented himself as the fifth generation of Presbyterians in his family in Brazil and emphasized as a priority the reaffirmation of Mackenzie's ties to the Reformed tradition associated with historical Protestantism — churches such as the Presbyterian and Methodist. This involves, according to him, taking care to prevent ideological activism in the classroom from subverting biblical values.
Marcondes Filho succeeds Reverend Roberto Brasileiro Silva, who had led the Supreme Council since 2002. Brasileiro became vice president, as the IPB's constitution provides that the outgoing president automatically assumes that seat when another is elected to his position.
