wfn.org | Cuban Methodists finally receive donated Spanish-language

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

hymnals

Dec. 16, 1998	Contact: Linda Green((615)742-5470(Nashville, Tenn.
{744}
 

By Michael Wacht*

LAKELAND, Fla. (UMNS)-- It took nearly four years of effort and involved
people from three nations, but nearly 9,000 Spanish-language hymnals are
on their way to Methodists in Cuba.
	
The renewed relationship between the Cuba Methodist Church and the
Florida Annual Conference prompted leaders of the two groups to discuss
ways they could minister to each other.
	
"They [the Cubans] told us that among their top three priorities was the
need for hymnals that reflected the spirit of worship of the people and
the liturgy of the United Methodist Church," said Larry Rankin, director
of the Florida Conference's Council on Ministries' missions ministry
office.
	
The United Methodist Publishing House in Nashville, Tenn., has published
two musical resources in Spanish:  Mil Voces Para Celebrar, a book that
includes traditional Spanish hymns, English hymns translated into
Spanish and liturgical resources, and Cantos del Pueblo, Songs of the
People, a text version of the hymnal. Copies of both books were given to
Cuban church leaders in response to requests for as many hymnals as
possible. 
	
Florida United Methodist churches gave $42,000 at a 1996 Annual
Conference hymnal event. The North Georgia Annual Conference and the
Cleveland District of the East Ohio Conference later added $7,000 of
their own. 

According to Velma Bunch, administrative assistant to Neil Alexander,
president and publisher of the Publishing House, Alexander authorized "a
price reduction" to help get more hymnals to Cuba.	

Rankin said the Florida Conference had the money for most of the hymnals
that needed to be printed, but, "we wanted to have the shipping and
licensing in place," before incurring shipping costs. 

Getting the hymnals to Cuba became a major challenge. Despite the United
States' embargo against Cuba, Bunch said the U.S. Office of Foreign
Assets Control informed her that it was legal to ship books to Cuba,
especially since they were being donated and not sold. However, many
domestic shipping companies refused to give shipping quotes. Others
refused to ship a load that was less than a full shipping container, or
46,000 pounds.
	
Organizations such as the United Methodist Committee on Relief and the
World Council of Churches were also unable to help since their
government licensing allowed them to ship only humanitarian aid to the
island.

A breakthrough came last July when Melfi Marine Corp., a Canadian firm,
offered its assistance to ship the hymnals. 

Working through the company's broker, Bunch made arrangements to ship
8,430 copies of Cantos del Pueblo and 520 copies of Mil Voces  to Cuba.
The Cuban Methodist church will distribute the hymnals to 120 churches
and 200 missions, which serve approximately 50,000 Cuban Methodists.
	
The hymnals left Canada Nov. 4 and arrived in Cuba Nov. 14. As of Dec.
1, the hymnals were still on the dock and the Cuban church was waiting
for the paperwork needed to claim the shipment.
	
"I will celebrate once I know that [Cuban] Bishop Cruz has a hymnal in
his hands and can sing from it," Bunch said.
	
She said the nearly two years she has spent on this project is a
ministry for her.  "You get a feel for what people go through trying to
worship God. The people there [Cuba] don't have the resources, and our
people here want to give that to them."
# # #
*Wacht is the assistant editor of the Florida Conference's edition of
the United Methodist Review.

United Methodist News Service
(615)742-5470
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