Rev. William Thompson, accompanied by his wife, greeted the participants of the Conference in Portuguese, but he opted to speak his speech in English. "Even though we are separated by thousands of miles, we are united by the faith in our Saviour Jesus Christ", said Thompson. He emphasized the partnership between the BMS and the IELB in the missionary work in Brazil and other countries.

According to Thompson, the amount of members of the LCMS who are contributing to mission in Brazil is increasing every year. Now, the BMS is helping in 35 special projects and in the keeping of 24 vicars in Brazil and abroad.