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A SHINING TROPHY OF
GOD’S GRACE!
Missionary Jimmy Rose (March 11, 1937 – July 20, 2021)
By Sean Lunday
But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was
not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:10).

“Pastor Jaime,” as Jimmy Rose was affectionately known to our people, has been called
by some the Apostle of Brazil. His love for Brazil and for Brazilians was impressed upon
all who knew and worked with him. To the rest of us missionaries, he was a friend and
mentor who served Christ faithfully 54 years in this vast country. The impact of his
ministry continues to be felt, not only through the churches he planted but through the
“Timothys” he mentored.

Arriving in 1961, one year after the founding of BIMI, Jimmy and Nancy felt led to
start the first non-Catholic church in a city known for its replica of St Peter’s Basilica
in Rome. Fresh out of language school they moved to this city steeped in idolatry. The
fierce persecution leveled upon those who openly preached the Gospel there gave it
notoriety as a missionary graveyard.

Upon arriving in the town, Jimmy would often preach open air meetings in the town
square, backed up by Nancy on the accordion. Many times they faced death threats and
had all sorts of debris hurled at them. These young missionaries would not be deterred
even when another denominational missionary was found dead after he began to preach
in the same town square. With full assurance of his calling, Brother Jimmy went to
preach to the accused murderer in jail. It was by God’s grace that a solid independent
Baptist church was soon established. That ministry went on to produce many pastors and
missionaries now serving throughout Brazil.

By 1975 they had started
four churches—all still
thriving today. They
changed strategy and felt
led to establish a “Mother
Church” with a Christian
camp and a Bible college
to train laborers. As souls
were saved through the
local church, young
Christians would attend
camps where they would
be challenged through
dynamic preaching to
surrender to God’s will
10 BIMI
Number 1, 2022
The Jim Rose Fam
ily