wfn.org | Methodist Church shows growth in Cuba, visitors find

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

March 8, 1999 News media contact: Linda Green*(615)742-5470*Nashville, Tenn.
10-32-71BP{124}  

NOTE: A photograph is available with this story.

By Kathy Gilbert*

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - At a time of heightened tension between the United
States and Cuba, 12 United Methodist deacons and diaconal ministers traveled
to Havana to worship and work with local church members.

The United Methodists made up a mission peace caravan to the economically
starved country Feb. 14-22 to witness the enthusiasm of the church members
and to better understand Methodism's growth on the island.

"Deacons are ordained to 'word and service,' and diaconal ministers are
consecrated to ministries of love, service and justice," said Joaquin
Garcia, a staff executive at the churchwide Board of Higher Education and
Ministry. "This kind of creative dislocation provides us with a moment in
which we grow in faith and renew our commitment to equip others to
participate in ministries of service, love and justice."

The U.S. government has not maintained diplomatic relations with Cuba for
more than 35 years. The "Recognition of Cuba" resolution passed by the 1996
General Conference states that the government instead has pursued an
economic embargo prohibiting all types of trade with Cuba. The restrictions,
it said, were tightened in 1992 and penalized other countries whose ships
stop in Cuba. The resolution said the expanded policy is heightening
tensions between the United States and other nations that want to do
business with Cuba.

"Because of the historical tension between the U.S. and Cuba, this country
remains a mystery," said Jimmy Carr, also an executive at the Board of
Higher Education and Ministry. "The Methodist Church in Cuba is strong and
growing at a significant pace. More than 100 house churches serve areas
which lack church facilities, and the worship is exciting, captivating and
dynamic. It is built on a strong discipleship study program."

The Methodist Church in Cuba has 10,000 members and serves a larger
community of 30,000 people, according to the World Methodist Council.

The deacons and diaconal ministers spoke to pastors of large and small
churches and were deeply affected by the vitality found in the
congregations. After returning to the United States, they reflected on what
it was like to immerse themselves in the needs of the Cuban people and of
the impact that experience will have on their lives.

"I was not prepared to see the impact the U.S. foreign policy embargo has
had on the lives of the people," said Diane Marie Bohn, minister of
education and programs at Wesley United Methodist Church in Fresno, Calif.
"I was also not prepared for the incredible passion of the Methodist Church
in Cuba."

For J.F. Lacaria, the faces of the people will linger in his memory for a
long  time. He "was impressed with the strength of the six United Methodist
pastors who helped Methodism stay alive during the years of political
oppression," he said. Lacaria is associate director of the West Virginia
Annual Conference Council on Ministries.

Amy Reiter, director of Christian education at Asbury United Methodist
Church in Prairie Village, Kan., was impressed by the church leaders. During
dinner at a pastor's home, she spoke with a church lay leader. They
discussed the circumstances that caused many church leaders to leave Cuba
after the revolution, and yet the lay leader had stayed. "It was a very
powerful moment for me to think about the ones who stayed and kept the
church going," Reiter said.

Garcia said one of the Cuban church's most significant accomplishments has
been establishing a process for new believers to be baptized and become
members in full connection.

Caravan participants worked on repairing the roof of a rural church, and
they were invited to proclaim the Gospel. That act connected the community
and the church, Garcia said. 

"Members of the peace mission caravan truly experienced the meaning of
Christian hospitality as they developed relationships with the people in
Cuba that went beyond curiosity and sociological analysis in one of the last
communist countries in the world," he said.

For Lacaria, highlights of the trip included seeing "the past grandeur of
Havana" and the attempts under way to restore it, plus "the unbelievable
graciousness of the Methodists in Pinar del Rio." 

The Cuban mission peace caravan was the fourth jointly sponsored by the
Board of Higher Education and Ministry and the churchwide Board of Global
Ministries. A future caravan is planned for Haiti.
# # #
*Gilbert is a staff member in the Office of Interpretation for the United
Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry.

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