Southern Baptists to expand Cuban outreach

Southern Baptists to expand Cuban outreach
Posted: Saturday, October 5, 2013 9:00 am
Barbara Denman

The Southern Baptist Convention's State Board of Missions, during its
recent quarterly meeting at Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center in
Leesburg, approved a historic partnership with the Eastern Cuba Baptist
Convention.
The Eastern Cuba partnership, modeled on the partnership Florida
Baptists have had with the Western Cuba Baptist Convention (WCBC) since
1997, will focus on evangelism, church starting, church development and
support ministries identified as needs by Eastern Cuba Baptists. Florida
Baptists will assume a role in Eastern Cuba that American Baptists once
had, until they began pulling out in 1999.
At that time, the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission
Board began sending its Florida-based missionaries in and out of the
region. But in recent months, Eastern Cuban leaders asked Florida
Baptists to consider a partnership similar to that of their Western
Cuban brothers.
John Sullivan, executive director-treasurer, called the Eastern Cuba
Baptist Convention partnership "an unprecedented opportunity." He
explained that when Florida Baptists first joined with Baptists in
Western Cuba, the Cuban government allowed only a handful of mission
projects.
But because "we have built up a wonderful reputation," the number has
grown each year.
Four mission partnership projects are scheduled in
Eastern Cuba in 2014; another 26 are scheduled for Western Cuba. After
the meeting,
Tommy Green of Brandon called the new partnership "historic."
"Many teams from our church have been to Cuba," he said. "The
opportunity to impact the entire island of Cuba is an historic open door
for Florida Baptists. The partnership ministry we have in Haiti reflects
the type of Gospel influence that we pray will be experienced in Cuba."
The Florida Baptist Convention has worked with the WCBC since 1997 and
funds 51 percent of its annual operating budget, earmarking more than
$1.8 million for the past 15 years to underwrite pastoral salary
assistance, theological education and leader training.
Then in 1959 after the Castro-led revolution, WCBC churches were
persecuted as Cuba was declared an atheistic country until 1992 when it
was formally changed to "secularist." The Communist Party's initial
crackdown on the spread of Christianity drew the Cuban Baptists together
as they sought to survive in a hostile regime.
Despite such adversity, in recent years the work of the WCBC grew as
leaders functioned under the government's regulations and restrictions
by focusing on evangelism and church planting. While much freer to
worship, the government will not allow Baptists to purchase new
buildings for churches or ministries.
The two Cuba conventions consist of nearly 7,000 churches—672 affiliated
churches, 1,346 missions and 4,901 house churches, houses of prayer and
cell churches.

Source: "Southern Baptists to expand Cuban outreach - Daily Commercial:
Life" -
http://www.dailycommercial.com/life/article_75c49b7d-eff2-5bf9-b7fb-a001a2f81dc6.html