Meet Neil Anderson | Esperança Fort Myers
Listen and subscribe on other platforms!
How a Brazilian Church Plant in Fort Myers Is Reaching Immigrants, Families, and the Next Generation
When you start a church plant, it is easy to think the main question is, “How do we get people in the room?” But in Fort Myers, a new Brazilian church is asking a deeper question: How do we become a faithful, gospel-centered family for people who need belonging, truth, and hope?That is the story Neil Anderson shared on The Plant Orlando Podcast. After 25 years of ministry in Brazil, he moved to the United States, helped a small immigrant gathering grow, and stepped into church planting through the Orlando Church Planning Network’s finishing cohort. In this post, you will learn what church revitalization taught him, why serving immigrants matters so much, and how a clear vision can help a new church grow with peace and purpose.
From Brazil to Florida: A Pastor’s Long Road Into Church Planting
Neil’s story starts in Minas Gerais, Brazil, where he grew up in a Christian family connected to the Presbyterian Church. He came to faith as a teenager, and one small moment became a turning point. At a concert, he picked up an evangelistic flyer and felt a strong sense that he was not meant just to receive the message—he was meant to give it. Soon after, a sermon on Romans 8 helped him understand God’s love in a personal way. That moment shaped the rest of his life.He began serving in youth ministry and then in women’s ministry, helping wherever he was needed. Over time, other believers noticed something he did not yet fully see in himself: a call to pastoral ministry. Eventually, he was approved by the church session, studied in seminary in Belo Horizonte, and spent 25 years as a Presbyterian pastor.What is important about Neil’s background is not just that he has a long ministry résumé. It is that he learned ministry the hard way—by doing it, making mistakes, and growing through disciple-making.Early in ministry, he thought being a pastor meant having all the answers. Later, another pastor came alongside him and helped him slow down, think carefully, and lead more wisely. That mentorship became a major shift in his understanding of ministry.That pattern matters for anyone thinking about church planting. You do not need to know everything before you begin, but you do need humility, teachability, and a willingness to grow.
What Revitalization Taught Him About Church Planting
Before Neil planted in Fort Myers, he spent years in revitalization work in Brazil. That experience shaped almost everything he now does.His first major pastoral assignment after his early ministry years was a church that was declining and in need of renewal. At first, the church may not have called it “revitalization,” but that is exactly what it was. Neil realized he needed to understand the church’s background, identify the real problems, and help people move out of maintenance mode.The key issue was vision.The church had been doing services and prayer meetings, but not really moving with mission. They were active, but not focused. Neil worked with the session to begin a process of change, helping the church rediscover purpose and direction.That lesson repeated later in Belo Horizonte, where another church needed renewal after leadership transitions and difficulty. Again, Neil stepped into a situation where the church needed more than activity—it needed clarity, trust, and spiritual direction.This is one of the most useful takeaways from the conversation: revitalization teaches you how to see.Instead of assuming a church problem is just about attendance or energy, Neil learned to ask deeper questions:
What is the history of this church?
What is causing the decline?
What is the church doing without a clear mission?
What needs to be restored before growth can happen?
That mindset carried directly into planting in Florida. Church planting is not just starting something new. It is also about understanding people, context, and mission well enough to lead faithfully.For planters, this is a valuable reminder: sometimes the most strategic thing you can do is slow down long enough to understand what is really happening. Growth without discernment rarely lasts.
Why Fort Myers Needed a Church That Serves Immigrants Well
Neil’s current church plant in Fort Myers began with a very specific mission field: Brazilian families and Portuguese-speaking immigrants.That focus makes sense when you hear the story. His parents had moved to the U.S. and were living in Connecticut, where Neil started helping a very small church gathering during the pandemic. A tiny group of adults and children suddenly had to rethink everything when lockdown made normal church life impossible.Neil stepped in to help with technology and online ministry. That work unexpectedly opened the door to a much larger gathering of people from Brazil, Cape Verde, and elsewhere. The church grew from a handful of people to dozens, and eventually Neil became the pastor.Then came the Fort Myers opportunity. Through relationships and a growing burden for Brazilians in southwest Florida, he was invited to help start a new church plant connected to Esperança Orlando. What began as a small group of four families has now grown into something much more established.But the heart behind the church plant is not just ethnic identity. It is pastoral care.Neil described the church’s first target as immigrants who are often alone, far from family, and carrying practical burdens. The church helps with rent, food, jobs, daycare, and basic needs. Sometimes the help is as simple as finding cheaper housing or buying groceries.That may sound practical, but it is deeply missional.People are often most open to the gospel when they experience love in real, embodied ways. Neil explained that the church is trying to be a family for people who are vulnerable and disconnected. In some cases, that even includes building friendships with people from different religious backgrounds and patiently letting trust grow over time.This is where many churches get church planting wrong. They think the only “real” ministry is preaching and organizing services. But in immigrant ministry, love and logistics often become the first bridge to gospel conversations.The church also sees this mission as more than Brazilian ministry. Their target begins with Brazilians and Portuguese speakers, but the larger vision is for the whole city and even a multicultural future. Neil wants the church to serve the next generation too—especially Brazilian-American kids who need a church prepared for their world.That forward-looking vision is important. If you only plant for the people who look like your starting group, you may miss the broader opportunity God is giving you.
The Vision for the Church: Gospel-Centered, Welcoming, Transforming
Every healthy church plant needs a clear vision, and Neil shared theirs in three simple phrases: gospel-centered, welcoming with love, and transforming people.That kind of vision is easy to say but hard to live. Still, it gives the church plant a strong center.First, they want to be gospel-centered. That means the gospel is not just something they talk about on Sundays. It shapes everything—preaching, relationships, hospitality, care, and mission.Second, they want to be welcoming with love. Neil was clear that many people in the community need more than a Sunday event. They need a family. Some are facing unstable work, language barriers, unfamiliar systems, or isolation. A church that welcomes people well becomes a place of refuge.Third, they want to transform people. That does not mean changing people by force or pressure. It means letting the gospel do what only the gospel can do—create new life, new hope, and new direction.This vision also shapes the church’s next steps:
Re-launch small groups
so people can pray for one another and build deeper relationships.
Reach younger adults and teenagers
—especially since the church currently has very few people between 18 and 25.
Grow toward financial health
so the church can stand on its own and eventually help plant other churches.
Think beyond Fort Myers
by supporting future church planting in places like Sarasota, Naples, and even overseas.
That last point is worth pausing on. Neil is already thinking about church planting in places like Chile, where Protestant witness is much smaller and the need is great. In other words, the goal is not just to build one church. The goal is to build a multiplying church.A clear vision does more than inspire people. It helps them make decisions. It tells the church what matters most when opportunities, distractions, and setbacks come.
What Neil Learned When Half the Congregation Left
One of the most honest parts of the conversation came when Neil described a hard season. As the Fort Myers church was getting started, some families left. At the same time, the church had outgrown its original space and needed to move to a larger location.That would be enough stress for any new church. But for Neil, it became a spiritual test.He admitted that he questioned whether he was in the right place and whether he had made the right decisions. That kind of doubt is common in church planting, especially when numbers drop and momentum feels fragile.What helped him was not a quick fix. It was trust.He came to see that faithfulness matters more than control. A planter plants and waters, but God gives the growth. That is easy to say when everything is going well. It is much harder to believe when people leave and you are unsure of what comes next.Still, Neil said the church is now in peace. The mood is good. People are excited. New families keep coming. The church is preparing to restart small groups. And the membership has grown again.That is a powerful lesson for any church leader: sometimes loss is not the end of the story. Sometimes it is part of the pruning that makes healthy growth possible.For planters, this means you cannot build your identity on immediate results. You have to learn to stay faithful in hard seasons, keep preaching, keep praying, and keep trusting God with the outcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main mission of the Fort Myers church plant?
The church wants to be gospel-centered, welcoming with love, and transforming people through the gospel. It began by reaching Brazilian and Portuguese-speaking immigrants, but its larger vision is to serve the whole city.Who is the church trying to reach first?
Their first target is immigrants, especially Brazilians who may be alone, far from family, and in need of practical support. The church helps with real-life needs so it can build trust and share the gospel naturally.Where does the church meet in Fort Myers?
The church meets at 2056 Lignart Avenue, Fort Myers, Florida every Sunday at 10:00 a.m.
They also share a meal after the service.
How can someone connect with the church online
You can find them on Instagram under Igreja Presbiteriana Fort Myer or Esperança Bible Presbyterian Church Fort Myers
You can also reach out directly through the church network.What did Neil learn from the church planting cohort?
He said the cohort helped him move from intuition alone to a more thoughtful approach. It gave him tools, perspective, and a clearer understanding of church planting, marriage, family health, and strategy.
Conclusion
Neil Anderson’s story is a reminder that church planting is not just about launching a Sunday service. It is about learning to love people well, understand your context, and trust God through both growth and loss. In Fort Myers, that has meant serving immigrants, building a gospel-centered community, and preparing for future multiplication.The big takeaway is simple: faithful ministry is often slow, practical, and deeply relational. If you are planting, supporting, or looking for a church, the question is not just “Is this church growing?” It is also “Is this church becoming a family that reflects the gospel?”If you want to support or follow the story, connect with the church on Instagram or reach out through the Orlando Church Planning Network.