Universal Church of the Kingdom of God

===From 1989===
[[File:Catedralmundial6.jpg|thumb|[[Worship service (evangelicalism)|Worship service]] at Cathedral of Faith in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.]]

In 1989, the UCKG expanded to Portugal.<ref name=portugal>{{cite web|url=http://www.sbsociologia.com.br/portal/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=3212&Itemid=171|title=A Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus em Portugal, Claudia Swatowiski, XIV Congresso Brasileiro de Sociologia, 28 a 31 de julho de 2009, Rio de Janeiro (RJ)|website=Sbsociologia.com.br|access-date=13 September 2018}}</ref> The church's style of proselytism was aggressive, and they were accused of charlatanism and commercial interests that put into question their claims to be a religious organisation.<ref name=portugal/> During the 1990s, the UCKG were very visible and energetic, attacked the Catholic Church, and amassed contributions sufficient to build a "gigantic" temple in [[Porto]].<ref name=portugal/> In 1995, a scandal ensued after the attempted purchase of the well-known theatre [[Coliseu do Porto]]<ref name=portugal/> to transform it into a UCKG temple. The church then began expanding into [[eastern Europe]].

In 1989, the UCKG purchased [[RecordTV|TV Record]], which by 2013 was Brazil's second-largest television network.<ref name="dilma">[http://www.estadao.com.br/noticias/geral,igreja-tambem-procurou-dilma-para-manter-pacto-inalterado-imp-,1001044  "Igreja também procurou Dilma para manter pacto inalterado"], ''Estado de São Paulo,'' 25 February 2013 {{in lang|pt}}</ref> In 2009, the [[Workers' Party (Brazil)|Workers' Party]] (PT) government in Brazil bought advertising from RecordTV, which it had formerly limited to Catholic publications, in new venues, and paid for [[public service message]]s in UCKG media outlets.<ref name="dilma"/>

The UCKG preached [[prosperity theology]], which asserts that faith and commitment to God are rewarded with Salvation first, but also monetary wealth.<ref name=forbes2015/> In the late 1990s, the church started trying to change its image of being associated with only the poorest people. In 1998, Macedo appointed his nephew, [[Marcelo Crivella]], as a bishop. Crivella said, "We want to win the middle class."<ref name="veja.abril.com.br"/> In 1992, Crivella began a mission in Africa, resulting in the creation of multiple UCKG temples. He returned to Brazil in 1998, where he lived in a four-bedroom condominium in an exclusive development. Crivella is married to Sylvia Jane, with three children who attend a [[Methodism|Methodist]] school in Río de Janeiro.<ref name="veja.abril.com.br"/>

Some observers at the time thought that Crivella was being promoted as a competitor to the popular Catholic priest-singer, [[Marcelo Rossi]], who had sold over 4 million albums.<ref name="veja.abril.com.br"/> In 1999, Crivella was reported to have signed a contract with [[Sony Music]] to make three albums, one in Spanish. The first CD, ''The Messenger of Solidarity'', reportedly sold 1.3 million copies that year.<ref name="veja.abril.com.br"/>

Crivella was the only pastor whom Macedo authorized to hold large events in stadiums. He has been effective at attracting crowds: the first time appearing at the Nilson Nelson gymnasium in [[Brasília]], with a capacity for 25,000 people, and also in the Estádio Fonte Nova in [[Salvador, Bahia|Salvador]] and the Mineiro in [[Belo Horizonte]]. In October 1999, Crivella packed the [[Estádio do Maracanã|Maracanã football stadium]] in Río de Janeiro. By the end of that year, he planned to have sung "in the largest football stadiums in the country" according to weekly news magazine ''[[Veja (magazine)|Veja]]''.<ref name="veja.abril.com.br"/>

[[File:Templo de Salomão - 1.JPG |thumb|right|Temple of Solomon, headquarters of UCKG]]

In July 2014, the [[Temple of Solomon (São Paulo)|Temple of Solomon]], with 10,000 seats, was inaugurated in the Brás district in [[São Paulo]].<ref>Simon Romero, [https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/25/world/americas/temple-in-brazil-appeals-to-a-surge-in-evangelicals.html Temple in Brazil Appeals to a Surge in Evangelicals], nytimes.com, USA, July 24, 2014</ref>