Valdemiro Santiago, leader of an evangelical church called World Church of the Power of God, has recently offered his followers on nationwide TV 100.000 ''bricks of God's work'' at the price of 200 reais each (100 USD). It is said that the aim of this sale is to rise funds of about 10 million USD for the purchase of more airing time on open TV companies.
According to Santiago, those who buy these bricks will be investing in the reconstruction of God's work, as well as the reconstruction of their own lives. "You can't miss this one, you have already invested so much in your life...", he says.
Sales like this are becoming commonplace in Brazil. Evangelical churches have hosted massive sales of overpriced products such as miniatures of Noah's Ark, pieces of cloth containing the pastors' sweat (as a blessed token of hard work), the ''Pillows of Dreams'', as well as practices such as overpriced trips to the Holy Land, charging of the church tithe via credit card and requests that 30% of every follower's house rent money be instead given to their church as contribution.
Another fundraising method heavily used by the pastors is the displaying of miracles as proof of the return for giving them money. In one particular case, a man claimed his debt of 9.000 USD in a bank was completely erased after he cleaned the handle of the bank agency's door with a supposedly blessed towel. He was therefore hailed during an airing session on an open TV channel.
Here is a short clip that shows these ''God's bricks''. Not only they are overpriced, they are also undersized.
Pastor vende tijolo na TV por R$ 200
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