Edir Macedo (born February 18, 1945) is a Brazilian evangelical bishop, writer, billionaire businessman, and the founder of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG). He is the owner and chairman of the third-largest television network in Brazil, RecordTV, along with Grupo Record since 1989, which he founded after he bought the network.
Early life
Edir Macedo was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1945 (one of seven surviving children).
Macedo's website stated that he has degrees in theology from the Evangelical School of Theology "United Seminar", and the Faculty of Theological Education in the state of São Paulo (Fatebom); a doctorate in theology, Christian philosophy, an honorary degree in Divinity, a Master's degree in Theological Science received through the Federación Evangélica Española de Entidades Religiosas (F.E.E.D.E.R) in Madrid, Spain.
The reference to FEEDER may be an error; it is cited with a question mark in the biography, and there is an organisation called Federación de Entidades Religiosas Evangélicas de España (FEREDE). FEEDER appears only to be referenced in association with Macedo. The FEREDE in 2021 refused membership to the Comunidad Cristiana del Espíritu Santo, also known as Familia Unida or "Christian Help Centre", associated with the UCKG.
Career
In 1963 he began a career as a civil servant, initially working with the state-run lottery of Rio de Janeiro, Loterj, and also at the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, IBGE, as a researcher in the economic census of 1970.
Macedo was raised Catholic, but by 1965 converted to Pentecostalism, after an invitation from his sister to Igreja Cristã de Nova Vida.
In 1975, Macedo founded a Pentecostal church with Romildo Ribeiro Soares, Cruzada do Caminho Eterno. After an argument, the two separated.
In 1977, Macedo founded with others the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil.
In 1989 he bought the free-to-air commercial television network RecordTV and in the same year he founded Grupo Record. In 2007 he founded the 24-hour free-to-air news channel Record News.
His rapidly growing religious movement and his teaching of prosperity theology have been a source of controversy. His sermons partly focus on freeing his followers from unclean spirits that oppress them, which manifest in them, and are cast out in the name of Jesus, for them to overcome their problems. His views about other faiths, particularly Catholicism, are also controversial. In 1992 he spent eleven days in jail on accusations of charlatanism. There were several protests, with his religious followers camping in front of the police precinct he was held in, according to his autobiography "Nothing to Lose". His prosperity theology is used by church leaders to justify his lifestyle, "If I preach prosperity and my clothes are ragged, who will follow me?"
From March 2013 to 2015, Macedo was on the Forbes billionaires list with a reported US$1.1 billion, and $1.24 b for Macedo and family, making him by far the richest pastor in Brazil and the world. He was not on the list for 2016 or later years
The UCKG built a US$300 million replica in São Paulo of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, with an $8 million contract to import stones from Jerusalem like those used to build the 3,000-year-old original.
Personal life
Macedo is married to Ester Bezerra, and has two daughters, Cristiane and Viviane, and an adopted son, Moises.
Opinions and controversies
Opposition to interracial marriage
Macedo was criticized for writing an article opposing interracial marriage. He tried to justify his views claiming that multiracial children should be avoided because they will suffer discrimination. This led to several accusations of racism and misogyny.
Religious intolerance
Macedo has been criticised, especially after the 'kicking of the saint' incident in which UCKG bishop Sérgio Von Helder, who later left the Church, kicked a Catholic icon in a TV program, for which he was later imprisoned for two years. He also authored a book called Orixás, Caboclos and Guias in which he attacks Afro-Brazilian religion, accusing it of Satanism and "the root of all of Brazil's troubles". The book was first prohibited as hate speech, but after legal efforts from Macedo's church it was allowed for the sake of free speech.