Edir Macedo

Edir Macedo
Born	(1945-02-18) February 18, 1945 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Occupation(s)	Evangelical bishop, author, entrepreneur
Known for	Founder of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God; owner and chairman of Record television network
Notable work	Orixás, Caboclos and Guias; Nada a perder trilogy

Edir Macedo (born February 18, 1945) is a Brazilian evangelical bishop, author, billionaire entrepreneur, and the founder of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG). He is the owner and chairman of Record (television network), which ranks as Brazil's third-largest television broadcaster, acquired through Grupo Record in 1989.

Early life

Macedo was born in Rio de Janeiro as the fourth offspring of Henrique Bezerra and Eugenia de Macedo Bezerra. According to his official website, he holds theological degrees from the Evangelical School of Theology "United Seminar" and São Paulo's Faculty of Theological Education (Fatebom), as well as a doctorate in theology and Christian philosophy. Additionally, he claims to possess a Master's degree in Theological Science from the Federación Evangélica Española de Entidades Religiosas (F.E.E.D.E.R) based in Madrid, although this affiliation remains uncertain. The Spanish federation FEREDE has publicly distanced itself from groups connected to UCKG.

Career

Macedo began his professional journey in 1963 as a civil servant, initially working for Rio de Janeiro’s state lottery organization, Loterj, followed by a research position at the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) during the 1970 economic census.

Raised originally within the Catholic faith, he converted to Pentecostalism in 1965 after joining Igreja Cristã de Nova Vida. In 1975, he co-established the Pentecostal church Cruzada do Caminho Eterno alongside Romildo Ribeiro Soares but soon separated from the partnership. Two years later, in 1977, he co-founded the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) in Rio de Janeiro.

Expanding into media ownership in 1989, Macedo purchased the free-to-air commercial television network Record and subsequently founded Grupo Record. In 2007, he introduced Record News, a 24-hour free-to-air news channel.

Macedo’s swift religious expansion and advocacy of prosperity theology have generated controversy. His preaching frequently focuses on casting out "unclean spirits" as a solution to followers' difficulties. His critical remarks about other religions, notably Catholicism, have also attracted criticism. In 1992, he was detained for eleven days on charges of charlatanism amid protests by his adherents. Macedo justifies his wealthy lifestyle consistent with his teachings by stating: "If I preach prosperity and my clothes are ragged, who will follow me?"

Between 2013 and 2015, Forbes recognized Macedo and his family with a combined net worth surpassing US$1.1 billion, establishing him as Brazil’s—and globally—the wealthiest pastor. He has not appeared on billionaire rankings after that period.

The UCKG invested roughly US$300 million to construct a replica of Solomon's Temple in São Paulo, including an $8 million expenditure to import stones from Jerusalem akin to those used in the original temple built approximately 3,000 years ago.

Personal life

Macedo is married to Ester Bezerra and they have two daughters named Cristiane and Viviane, along with an adopted son called Moises.

Opposition to interracial marriage

Macedo has been criticized for his opposition to interracial marriage, asserting that children of mixed-race unions would face discrimination. This viewpoint has resulted in accusations of racism and misogyny.

Religious intolerance

Macedo faced backlash after the "kicking of the saint" episode, where a UCKG bishop was filmed kicking a Catholic religious statue on television and was subsequently incarcerated. He is also the author of Orixás, Caboclos and Guias, a work that denounces Afro-Brazilian spiritual practices as demonic and attributes various societal issues in Brazil to these religions. Initially prohibited for promoting hate speech, the publication was later allowed to circulate under the protection of freedom of expression.

Status of women

During a 2019 sermon, Macedo expressed that his daughters should avoid pursuing university education to prevent them from becoming "more intelligent than their husbands," asserting that higher education in women undermines marital happiness. He stressed that for a marriage to thrive, men need to maintain leadership within the family structure.

Federal Justice indictment

Edir Macedo was formally charged by Federal Justice authorities concerning the importation of equipment and misuse of official documents and legal processes, though he was not found guilty. A decade afterward, São Paulo prosecutors reopened legal proceedings against him. However, on October 19, 2010, the São Paulo Court of Justice (TJ-SP) dismissed all charges against the UCKG and its leadership by majority decision, determining that jurisdiction belonged to federal courts rather than state prosecutors.

Companies

Macedo oversees Record, Brazil's second-largest television network, along with Rede Família (RFTV), Record News, Line Records, 64 radio stations affiliated with Rede Aleluia, and Universal Produções.

Books

With over ten million copies sold across more than 34 titles, Macedo is a prolific evangelical author. His prominent works include Orixás, Caboclos and Guias and In the Footsteps of Jesus, each surpassing three million copies sold within Brazil. His trilogy Nada a perder (Nothing to Lose) has reached millions of readers globally. Additionally, he authored the contentious bestseller Orixás, Caboclos e Guias, Deuses ou Demônios.

Movies

The 2018 film Nada a perder (Nothing to Lose), financed by Record and based on Macedo’s autobiography, encountered predominantly negative critiques accusing it of hagiography. Despite this, it attracted substantial audiences, boosted by churches distributing free tickets—a promotional strategy previously employed for Record’s production The Ten Commandments: The Movie. A follow-up installment premiered in August 2019.

See also

• The Bishop – revealed history of Edir Macedo: biography

External links

• Bispo Macedo – Official website of Edir Macedo