A CALL, A DREAM, A PROPHECY, A MISSION, AND AN INSTITUTE:
BUILDING TENTS AND ALTARS: THE COMPLETE SERMON AND PERSONAL TESTIMONY OF BRAZILIAN SUPREME COURT JUSTICE AND PRESBYTERIAN PASTOR ANDRÉ MENDONÇA
JESUS CHRIST Is the Way
Complete English translation of the sermon delivered by Justice André Mendonça
Analysis and international publication by Marcia Almeida — MINDD, Defend Your Rights with assistance of AI CHATGPT
INTRODUCTION
André Mendonça is a Justice of Brazil’s Federal Supreme Court — the Supremo Tribunal Federal, or STF — and a Presbyterian pastor.
On February 8, 2026, while preaching at the Presbyterian Church of Pinheiros, in São Paulo, André Mendonça delivered a sermon entitled “Tents and Altars.”
In this deeply personal testimony, Mendonça spoke about his faith, his family, his public responsibilities, his service as a minister of the Gospel, and his dream of establishing the Instituto Iter, an educational institution devoted to improving public administration, developing public and private leadership, and training future public officials and professionals.
JESUS IS THE WAY
The official website identifies André Mendonça as the founder of the Instituto Iter and states that the institution works with governments, businesses, and civil-society organizations to train professionals, promote debates, conduct research, and strengthen public and private governance.
During the sermon, Mendonça explained that the word iter means “way” or “path” and that the name was inspired by Jesus Christ:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
Mendonça described the Instituto Iter as a dream that began around 2013, after he returned from his master’s studies in Spain. His objective was to establish an institution capable of improving public administration and preparing future public managers, judges, prosecutors, government attorneys, police chiefs, educators, and other professionals.
The sermon was delivered on February 8, 2026, at the Presbyterian Church of Pinheiros. News reports published after the sermon confirm its date, location, central theme, and Mendonça’s public commitment concerning any future profits from his family’s participation in the Institute.
Mendonça declared that:
- 10% of any future profits or financial results attributable to his family’s participation in the Instituto Iter would be directed to the tithe;
- the remaining 90% would be invested in education and social projects;
- none of those profits would be taken for his personal benefit.
He described that commitment as the consecration of an altar to God and as a public testimony that a servant of God may relinquish earthly treasures in order to gather treasures in Heaven.
This sermon is particularly significant at a time when societies around the world are experiencing crises involving judicial integrity, public administration, institutional trust, moral responsibility, education, leadership, and access to justice.
Its central metaphor is clear:
- Tents represent professional work, material life, institutions, careers, projects, property, and everyday responsibilities.
- Altars represent consecration, faith, integrity, service, accountability before God, and moral responsibility toward society.
The message has a profound connection with the work carried out by MINDD — Defend Your Rights, by Scott Erik Stafne through The Church of the Gardens, and through the publication and preservation of legal, constitutional, religious, and human-rights research on platforms such as Academia.edu and Substack.
There is no assertion here of a formal institutional relationship between the Instituto Iter, MINDD, The Church of the Gardens, Academia.edu, or Substack. The relationship identified is one of principles: the conviction that knowledge, education, faith, ethical public service, judicial integrity, and responsible documentation can become pathways toward justice, institutional reform, and the protection of human dignity.
OFFICIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL LINKS
Instituto Iter — Official Website
https://institutoiter.com.br/
Instituto Iter — About Us
https://institutoiter.com.br/sobre-nos/
Instituto Iter — Official YouTube Channel
https://youtube.com/@institutoiter?si=K9wIcstRnHbIWbxa
Presbyterian Church of Pinheiros — Official YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@IgrejaPresbiterianadePinheiros
Video containing the sermon and testimony
https://youtu.be/glN2eSCWW6I?is=OCvwFKZ4QC-6G3hc
NEWS REPORTS ABOUT THE SERMON AND THE INSTITUTO ITER
Gazeta do Povo
André Mendonça says that profits from his company will go to the tithe and social projects
https://www.gazetadopovo.com.br/republica/andre-mendonca-diz-que-lucro-de-sua-empresa-ira-para-dizimo-e-obras-sociais/
The report confirms that the announcement was made on February 8, 2026, during a Sunday service at the Presbyterian Church of Pinheiros, where Mendonça serves as a pastor. It also reports his explanation that Abraham built both tents and altars and reproduces the essential elements of his commitment regarding the Instituto Iter.
Poder360
Mendonça says he is not afraid of criticism for directing profits to the tithe
https://www.poder360.com.br/poder-justica/mendonca-disse-nao-ter-medo-de-criticas-por-destinar-lucros-a-dizimo/
The report confirms the February 8, 2026 sermon, Mendonça’s pastoral connection to the Presbyterian Church of Pinheiros, and his commitment to direct 10% to the tithe and 90% to education and social projects.
Pleno.News
André Mendonça says that profits from his company will go to the tithe
https://pleno.news/brasil/politica-nacional/andre-mendonca-diz-que-lucros-de-sua-empresa-vao-para-dizimo.html
The report identifies the sermon’s theme as “Tents and Altars” and confirms that Mendonça delivered it on February 8, 2026, while preaching as a pastor at the Presbyterian Church of Pinheiros.
CartaCapital
André Mendonça says that profits from his institute will go to tithes and social projects
https://www.cartacapital.com.br/justica/andre-mendonca-diz-que-lucro-de-seu-instituto-ira-para-dizimos-e-obras-sociais/
The report discusses Mendonça’s public statement that he would relinquish the financial gains from his participation in the educational institute.
Poder360 — Video
André Mendonça says that profits from his institute will be donated
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SViqMp3fzwA
Jovem Pan News — Video report
https://www.facebook.com/jovempannews/videos/andr%C3%A9-mendon%C3%A7a-anuncia-doa%C3%A7%C3%A3o-de-lucros-de-sua-empresa-para-d%C3%ADzimo-e-obras-socia/1926608264620262/
COMPLETE SERMON
TENTS AND ALTARS
Translated literally into English from the Portuguese transcript
Editorial note: Obvious automatic-transcription errors in biblical names, geographical names, grammar, and punctuation were corrected solely to restore the meaning of the spoken Portuguese. The substance, sequence, personal testimony, and message of the sermon were preserved.
[PRESENTER]
0:00–0:17
Hello, everyone. Today I bring a very powerful message here on the channel, delivered by STF Justice and pastor André Mendonça.
Go ahead and like this video, and watch it until the end, because it is very powerful.
Let us watch, everyone.
[PASTOR AND JUSTICE ANDRÉ MENDONÇA]
0:18–27:15
My brothers and sisters, I invite you to open your Bibles to Genesis 12.
Genesis, chapter 12.
The Word of God says:
Now the Lord said to Abraham:
“Go from your country, from your kindred, and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.
And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great.
Be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you, and in you all the families of the Earth shall be blessed.”
So Abraham departed, as the Lord had instructed him, and Lot went with him.
Abraham was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
Now turn with me to Genesis 13, beginning with verse 14.
It says:
The Lord said to Abraham, after Lot had separated from him:
“Lift up your eyes and look from where you are, toward the north, toward the south, toward the east, and toward the west, because all the land that you see I will give to you and to your descendants forever.I will make your descendants like the dust of the Earth, so that, if anyone can count the dust of the Earth, then your descendants may also be counted.
Arise. Walk through the length and breadth of this land, because I will give it to you.”
And Abraham moved his tents and went to live by the oaks of Mamre, which are near Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.
Let us seek God in prayer.
Beloved God, Holy God, thank You, Father, for Your Word.
Thank You because Your Word is true, because it is life.
And now we ask You: speak to our hearts through Your Word.
You know the needs of Your people.
You know my needs.
You know my heart.
Use me in spite of myself, for I am a sinner, for the honor and glory of Your holy name.
It is in Christ Jesus that we pray.
Amen.
My brothers and my sisters, today’s message is a different message because it contains one part testimony and one part commitment.
Looking back, perhaps you will remember that, at the end of last year, I preached from the Book of Daniel, Daniel chapter 10.
In that text, Daniel was experiencing a time of conflict.
Daniel chapter 10 says:
In the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, a word was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar.
The word was true, and it concerned a great conflict.
He understood the word and had understanding of the vision.
In those days, I, Daniel, mourned for three full weeks.
I ate no desirable food, neither meat nor wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, until the three entire weeks were completed.
And that is what I did.
For three weeks, I ate basically fish.
I did not eat red meat or any other type of meat.
I did not drink wine.
That was essentially my diet.
I ate bread and butter in the morning.
One day, I ate pasta with tomato sauce, but I was advised, even at home, not to eat that either.
From that point on, I did not even eat that pasta.
And for three weeks, I waited for God to speak to my heart.
A short time before that, as perhaps you followed, some reports were published about the institute that I established, the Instituto Iter.
Iter means “way.”
And the name, not by chance, was inspired by Jesus Christ.
He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
The motto of the Institute is:
KNOWLEDGE IS THE WAY
I confess — and my family knows this — that I became very upset.
I was sad and upset.
That Institute represented a dream for me.
It was a dream that began around 2013, when I was returning from my master’s studies in Spain.
The university had a center for global governance, a research center.
I wanted to establish an institute to improve public administration and the preparation of public managers in our country.
That remained in my heart.
After I joined the Supreme Court, I began preparing the foundations for that Institute.
I conducted research.
I hired a consulting firm to guide me in establishing the Institute.
I invited some friends to dream together with me.
Within that context, when the reports were published and they saddened my heart, I had to stop before God.
“God, speak to me.
Should I continue?
Should I not continue?
Is that dream true?
And, if I continue, upon what foundations should I continue?”
I have already faced many adversities in life.
I have faced many discouraging words and, at times, many injustices.
Of course, I am not perfect.
I am far from being perfect.
On the contrary, I allow myself to say, as Paul did:
“I am the greatest of sinners.”
The only thing within me that has real and essential value is the grace and love of God, through Jesus Christ, who saved me.
That is the only essence.
That is my only victory and the only prize for eternal life.
There is nothing that I can do — no good decision and no good behavior — other than what Jesus Christ did for us.
That is the essence of the Gospel and of Christianity.
At the same time, I recognize that God has done more for me than I ever imagined in life.
When I look at the history of my grandparents, the history of my parents, and the history of my wife’s parents and grandparents, God has done much more for us than we ever dreamed of in life.
I joke that I came from the banana trees, from the banana plantations of Miracatu, because that was where my grandfather began his life.
My father helped on the farm, attended a technical school, and later passed a public examination to work at a public bank, Banespa — Banco do Estado de São Paulo.
And God continued guiding my life.
I did not even want to attend law school.
I wanted to go directly to the seminary.
But my father would allow me to go to the seminary only if I first completed a university degree.
Later, my father died while I was halfway through law school.
My mother would allow me to attend the seminary only after I had obtained a job.
For that reason, I began taking public-service examinations.
On February 7, 2000, I took office at the Office of the Attorney General of the Union.
In February 2000, I began attending the seminary.
My wife left the position she had obtained through a competitive examination at Petrobras so that she could follow this dream, this calling from God that I had received during my adolescence.
She relinquished a professional career to accompany me in my calling.
She has accompanied me throughout all these years: twenty-six years of marriage, plus four years of dating.
And there I was, wondering:
“Will that dream be misunderstood by society?”
I also wondered:
“How will the Church understand this?”
I was seeing one of its pastors being criticized with a certain frequency because of a dream concerning an institute of education and teaching.
My brothers and sisters, I dream that one day the ITER will become a great institution for preparing, through a law program, those who will become judges, prosecutors, government attorneys, and police chiefs in the future.
I dream of future teachers completing an excellent pedagogy program there.
I dream of helping to train good public administrators.
I dream of this, just as so many others have dreamed.
Mackenzie was born from dreams such as this.
Harvard was born from dreams such as this.
For those who do not know, John Harvard, after whom the university was named, was a pastor.
I spent those three weeks asking God for direction.
I confess that, on the Sunday that marked the completion of those three weeks, God had still not spoken clearly to me.
He had placed some things in my heart, but He had not yet spoken clearly to me.
On that Sunday, it pleased God that I had to travel to Londrina.
That was the city where I began working at the Office of the Attorney General of the Union and where I studied theology.
I very rarely travel to Londrina.
It is the city where my children were born.
There I met a pastor whom I had not seen for more than twenty years.
Pastor Messias Anacleto.
A pastor of the Independent Presbyterian Church.
I met with Pastor Messias for approximately two or three hours.
It was a privilege for me.
He spoke to me about several biblical passages.
I wrote them down — perhaps not all of them, because he mentioned many, but almost all of them.
At the end of our conversation, within an already different context, he spoke to me about Abraham and Lot.
He told me the story of Abraham and Lot from the following perspective, which I now share with you.
He said:
“Abraham takes his nephew Lot with him.”
The promise was directed to Abraham:
“Leave the land of your relatives.
Go forth as a pilgrim, and there will be a place, a land, that I will show you.”
There is a commandment given to Abraham:
“Be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you.
I will curse those who curse you.
And in you all the families of the Earth shall be blessed.”
Then he makes the distinction.
Lot leaves with Abraham, but there comes a certain moment when Lot and Abraham separate.
There is a disagreement.
There is a conflict.
Lot and Abraham separate.
This is described in greater detail beginning in chapter 13, from verse 1 onward, and still more specifically later in the chapter.
Verse 12 states that Abraham remained in the land of Canaan.
Lot chose for himself to go toward the land of Sodom, the city of Sodom.
But beyond this distinction between their destinations, Pastor Messias told me something that caused me to see the entire context differently.
And in light of that context, I made my decision.
He said:
“During the pilgrimage, Abraham built tents, but he also built altars.”
When we look at Genesis 12:8, it says:
From there he moved to the mountain east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east.
There he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord.
At the same time that Abraham stopped and built a tent, he also built an altar of worship to God.
Lot, on the other hand, is described in verse 12:
Abraham dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain and pitched his tents as far as Sodom.
Lot built only his tents.
He did not worship God.
In light of this text, my wife and I, with the blessing of our children, decided that our part of the Instituto Iter will be devoted to the consecration of an altar to God.
Everything that Janey and I may one day be entitled to receive...
We have never received a share of profits or financial results.
Everything that I have earned there until today was payment for teaching classes.
But from anything that may possibly generate profits or financial results in the future, I will separate 10% for the tithe.
The remaining 90% will be invested in social projects and education.
Nothing will be taken for myself.
The Apostle Paul says:
“All things are lawful for us, but not all things are beneficial.”
It is lawful for me — it would be lawful for me — to receive the results of any possible profits generated by the Institute.
I am not saying that it is unlawful.
It is lawful.
But two things weigh upon me.
One of them is the position that I currently hold in the public sphere.
The second, and more important, is my position as a minister of the Gospel.
My brothers and my sisters, all of us are subject to errors and mistakes.
But today, André’s possible missteps — the missteps of the Justice and of the pastor — have repercussions for the entire Church.
And I must provide a good testimony.
My brothers and sisters, I have a commitment before God:
If the day ever comes when I am going to provide a bad testimony, may God take me before that happens.
But while I have life, may my life provide a good testimony.
I would feel troubled before God, in my relationship with God and with the Church, if I entered a pulpit and, in some way, felt vulnerable before men.
I cannot be vulnerable.
I must be strong before God.
I must be completely on my knees and dependent upon God so that I may stand upright before men.
This commitment that I make is a commitment arising especially from my role as a pastor of the Church.
It is made so that I may provide a testimony on behalf of the Church.
The tents that God will give me will come from my salary at the Supreme Court and from my strict activity as a professor.
Any participation in profits or financial results will be my altar before God and my testimony before society:
That a servant of God relinquishes treasures on Earth in order to gather treasures in Heaven.
My brothers and sisters, I ask you to pray for me.
At the same time, I ask you to believe with all your hearts that, on my part, the only thing that gives full meaning to life is serving God.
It is honoring the name of Jesus Christ.
I want to tell you that I believe in this text.
And by undertaking this public commitment — especially before God and the Church — I also believe in God’s blessings and promises for our lives.
I remember, Reverend Arival, that last Sunday Reverend Lee, from South Korea, spoke about promises.
I believe that this commitment, this testimony, first of all, does not come from myself.
It is not because I am better than anyone else.
On the contrary, I say again:
I am the greatest of sinners.
Indeed, the closer we draw to God — I believe this — the more conscious we become of how much we err.
The closer we draw to the holiness of God, the more conscious we become of our limitations and our weaknesses.
But the grace and love of God, through the sacrifice of the Cross and the victory of the Resurrection in Jesus Christ, removed us from eternal death and gave us eternal life.
And I believe in the promises of God.
I believe that God will bless, just as He has already blessed, my descendants — the children He gave me.
He will bless, just as He has blessed, the descendants of my parents.
He will bless the descendants of my grandparents.
He blesses and will bless the descendants of my wife’s parents and grandparents.
I believe in this Word: that God will fulfill His promises in my life and in my wife’s life, through grace and mercy.
I know that I am already indebted to Him for everything.
As I said, God has done more for me than I ever imagined or dreamed.
At the same time, my brother and my sister, I have some questions to ask you:
How has your life been?
Have you been building only tents?
Or have you also been building altars?
I want to invite you to build tents and also to build altars.
Just as I embrace for myself and for my household this promise that God will bless me and my descendants, I want you to embrace this promise for yourself.
May God bless you and bless your descendants.
May God bless the generations that will come after you.
May those generations testify to the power and love of God.
May peoples who have not yet been reached be reached by our children and by our children’s children.
May the church that will be built here be not only a tent, but a great altar for the honor and glory of God.
Some friends with whom I spoke said:
“Justice, or André, it will do no good for you to do this. They will continue criticizing you.”
I know.
I will not be free from criticism.
Indeed, I told Reverend Arival, when he invited me:
“I am concerned because, as a public figure, there will always be someone criticizing me.”
I am not afraid of criticism.
One day, someone asked me whether I would have the courage to go to the Supreme Court.
I answered:
“I am not even afraid of death, much less of occupying a position that God has prepared or may prepare for me.”
The only fear and reverence that I have is the fear of failing to walk in the ways of the Lord.
My brother and my sister, you and I have a promise, but there are two paths.
There is the path of Abraham.
And there is the path of Lot.
Which path will we follow?
The Word of God and the promises of God say that, if we maintain our faithfulness and our integrity, God will not only make us a blessing, but will also bless those who bless us.
He will bless our children, our grandchildren, our great-grandchildren, and their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
May we continue as the body of Christ Jesus, testifying to His sacrifice and His victory until He returns.
Reverend Arival, pray for us.
May God bless all of us and His Church.
[PRESENTER]
27:20–27:41
Very powerful.
What a powerful message.
It is worth watching again.
It is also very worthwhile for you to leave your comment here and share it with someone whom you believe needs to hear this message.
That is all, everyone.
Leave your like here, and I will see you in the next videos.
Bye, bye.
THE INSTITUTO ITER: KNOWLEDGE AS A PATH TOWARD PUBLIC SERVICE
The official website of the Instituto Iter presents it as an institution devoted to executive education, leadership development, public and private governance, professional training, research, debate, and practical institutional improvement. It identifies André Mendonça as its founder and former Brazilian Minister of Education Victor Godoy as its chief executive officer.
According to the Institute, its work includes partnerships with governments, companies, and civil-society organizations and is guided by ethics, governance, compliance, technical education, and the pursuit of measurable social and institutional impact.
The Instituto Iter has also promoted educational programs concerning public security, public contracts, legal advocacy, public management, medical education, regulation, evidence, technology, and institutional governance.
The central idea expressed by its motto — “Knowledge Is the Way” — extends beyond professional qualification.
Knowledge can become:
- a way to understand laws and institutions;
- a way to expose fraud and injustice;
- a way to prevent public and judicial abuses;
- a way to train ethical judges, prosecutors, attorneys, administrators, educators, and public officials;
- a way to protect vulnerable people;
- a way to preserve evidence and historical memory;
- a way to restore institutional legitimacy;
- a way to promote dialogue among nations;
- and a way to build peace.
THE CONNECTION WITH MINDD, THE CHURCH OF THE GARDENS, ACADEMIA.EDU, AND SUBSTACK
The work of MINDD — Defend Your Rights is grounded in the preservation and dissemination of knowledge concerning human rights, access to justice, judicial integrity, constitutional guarantees, institutional abuses, the protection of vulnerable people, and the responsibility of public officials.
Scott Erik Stafne’s work through The Church of the Gardens likewise connects Christian faith, constitutional advocacy, public testimony, legal education, and the defense of people who have suffered injustice.
Academia.edu and Substack have become important international platforms for preserving documents, publishing constitutional analyses, presenting legal arguments, and expanding public dialogue beyond the limitations imposed by courts, professional associations, traditional media, or national boundaries.
In this context, André Mendonça’s distinction between tents and altars has particular relevance.
Courts, universities, government offices, law firms, professional associations, research institutes, and digital platforms may all be regarded as tents: necessary structures in which human work is performed.
But structures alone are insufficient.
Without altars — without truth, conscience, responsibility, justice, faith, compassion, and accountability before God — those institutions may preserve their buildings, titles, procedures, and authority while losing their moral purpose.
A court without justice becomes only a structure of power.
A university without intellectual honesty becomes only a mechanism for reproducing prestige.
A religious institution without love and truth becomes only an organization.
A government without service becomes an instrument of control.
A legal system without due process becomes a mechanism of oppression.
Knowledge must therefore be joined to conscience.
Authority must be joined to responsibility.
Law must be joined to justice.
Professional success must be joined to service.
And every tent must also have an altar.
FINAL REFLECTION
André Mendonça’s sermon is more than a personal explanation concerning the Instituto Iter.
It is a testimony about the moral responsibilities of a public official, a Justice, a professor, a pastor, a husband, a father, and a Christian.
His central question applies to every human being and every institution:
Are we building only tents, or are we also building altars?
Are we building careers without conscience?
Are we building institutions without integrity?
Are we accumulating knowledge without wisdom?
Are we exercising authority without responsibility?
Are we creating laws without justice?
Are we constructing courts without impartial adjudication?
Are we developing technology without humanity?
Are we accumulating treasures on Earth while abandoning our responsibilities before God and toward one another?
The answer to these questions will determine not only the legitimacy of our institutions, but also the moral future of our societies.
Knowledge is the way.
But knowledge must serve truth.
Public office must serve the people.
Law must serve justice.
Institutions must protect human dignity.
And every human endeavor must ultimately become an altar of responsibility, fraternity, service, and peace.
“YOU HAVE BEEN BUILDING TENTS. BUT HAVE YOU ALSO BEEN BUILDING ALTARS?”
KNOWLEDGE IS THE WAY.
JESUS CHRIST IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE.
RECOMMENDED HASHTAGS
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#BrazilianSupremeCourt
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#InstitutoIter
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#TentsAndAltars
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#DefendYourRights
#ChurchOfTheGardens
#ScottErikStafne
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#Substack
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#Justice
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#Peace
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