The restoration of the relations of America with Cuba leads to a missionary boom in this island nation. American Christians are happy to go to Cuba. But Cuban Christians have founded their own missionary movement.
Cuba missionary approaching tsunami, because the North American Church are preparing to bring down the flow of missionaries in this island nation. This contributes to the improvement of relations between the two countries and facilitation of entry.
“Any leader who is active, who wants to participate in something new in the world or want to introduce your Church with a living Christianity, should think about Cuba,” — said Jason Carlisle, the leader of the southern Baptist Convention. He says that this interest arose last year when President Obama tried to improve relations with Cuba. However, Carlisle and other missionary leaders remain cautious. They want Americans there in the first place studied and been inspired by. The fact that the Cuban Church is on the rise and can share significant experiences with churches in the United States. One of her main achievements: over the past 20 years, she founded more than fifteen thousand churches.
“We cannot say that we are in some kind of closed country, which have not yet penetrated by the gospel. It is already there. Believers grow incredible, just amazing. Everywhere there are house churches,” says Jason Carlisle.
For example, a farm owned by a Christian pastor Juan is a great example of the ingenuity of the Cuban Church in the preaching of the gospel. Farm finances missionary school, which for years approved teaching churches of the candidates, and then sends them to unaffected areas of the island.
“This is a vision to open a school for missions was planted in our hearts by God Himself,” — says the founder of the missionary school, pastor Juan.
In 2008, when the Cuban government gave peasants land, he accepted these fields, overgrown with bushes, to fulfill his vision of a self-sustaining Ministry. Today the new Church was founded about a hundred graduates of the school.
“We don’t have luxurious buildings, beautiful classes and comfortable hostels. All of this may somewhat interfere with the work of the Lord. Someone will see this as a reason to say: “I can’t”. But we do not stop. We are driven by the vision and enthusiasm”, says pastor Juan.
The chosen strategy has led to good results. Despite incredibly limited resources, the Cuban Church began its own missionary movement. Recently hundreds of Cubans responded to the call to become foreign missionaries — for example, last summer, one couple went to serve unaffected peoples in Ecuador. Experts on missions surprised the unique preparation that God spent with the Cuban Ministers. First of all, they have difficulties.
“Cuba is a missionary country. And really, we’ve been preparing to send people to other countries. Constant need and the lack of prepared us for this work,” says pastor Julio.
“The conditions in which the Cubans are so advanced spiritually, and can be played in almost any country of the world, particularly in regions that are difficult to access. This does not require a lot of resources and do not need to carry with them the worship band,” says Jason Carlisle.
And Cuban Christians understand a very simple method of Church planting: “the Great advantage is that they are used to working under severe restrictions. Just take the Living Word of God and teach it to people, share the gospel with them. They become disciples, you are their guide, and then home base of the Church,” says Jason Carlisle.
The southern Baptists even brought to Cuba mission teams from other Latin American countries, so they watched the movement of planting new churches. It is assumed that if Christians Latin America and North America will be able to reproduce what happened in Cuba, then the modern Church will increase exponentially. Add to that a powerful movement of Cuban missionaries, and the possibilities are endless.
International missionary Council invites Cubans to send missionaries around the world and not only in Hispanic countries. So in the coming years they will be able to provide a truly global impact.