In January 2025, a team of people spent a few weeks in Cuba meeting with churches, pastors, and seminary students. The team members were Pastor R and Debbie Greene (former senior pastor Community Grace Church Frederick, Md.), Chaplain James and Elizabeth Schaefer, Ted Offut (International Director of Church Planting with Encompass World Partners), Enrique Sandoval (deacon at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fla.), and Daniel Sandoval (Executive Director of Spanish World Missions in Winona Lake, Ind.). Below is a recap written by James Schaefer about their experience.
The garden of the Caribbean is in Central Cuba. There are valleys and tropical vegetation. There is an abundance of fruit and vegetables. Even some of the best espresso in the world is found in central Cuba!
But, there’s a problem! Communism has left the people impoverished, and their only choice provided by the government is, “country or death…!” Devastation shows — there are buildings in much disrepair. There are few services, like regular garbage service. There are shortages of many things, including gas, electricity, school supplies, common over the counter medicines, Christian books, and Bibles. Food is what you grow, get, borrow, steal, or have on a rope.
What’s the solution? The work of Christ through the people of God! The Cuba evangelical church is growing more than any people group on the island…more than the church in the West! Their services are overflowing! Children learn God’s Word at the earliest possible ages. In the churches, youth leaders teach the younger and lead them and entire churches in Christian service projects to jails and hospitals. Mission churches are springing up every 2.1 kilometers in garages, houses, back yards, places without electricity. The government doesn’t allow churches to be closer in distance than 2 kilometers. Even houses formerly used for fights and gambling are now houses of faith and giving to neighbors who need Christ! There are a growing number of young seminary students and wives who work 2 to 3 jobs each to stay in the ministry. They travel by foot, bike, or borrowed horses to be part of a biblical seminary to study how to lead churches and reach the island for Christ.
This is why the Cristo Ahora (Christ Now!) team came — not to rest — but see, learn, love, and participate in God’s next steps for a growing ministry together. Our team was made up of Pastor R and Debbie Greene and Chaplain James and Elizabeth Schaefer from the Chesapeake District, Ted Offut from Encompass World Partners, and Enrique Sandoval from Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. Later, his brother, Daniel Sandoval, joined us (Executive Director of Spanish World Missions in Winona Lake, Ind.).
Our team from the Charis Fellowship didn’t come as ones who were their instructors. No! We came to learn, share a few of our thoughts, relate, care for physical hurts, and to plan to work in the future for more churches in Cuba that are growing exponentially. The Cuban evangelicals graciously invited us as their guests, but they are church growth experts and we learned so much from them.
We began our journey from January to early February in the “Cedars of Lebanon” seminary in Pinar del Rio, Cuba. President of the seminary, Dr. Boris Sarlabous, invited us to observe, learn, and share. During that time, R taught a condensed overview of the entire Book of Romans, and Enrique did most of the translating. Ted Offut shared about church planting and offered to spend individual time with them. I led in exegetical breakout groups in Spanish. Then, a two-day marriage retreat was led by R and Debbie Greene for their pastors and wives as part of an annual convention held at the seminary. Boris said, “In spite of the trials and restrictions imposed by the government on students and pastors from the Cedars of Lebanon Seminary, we have been able to plant new churches and missions in almost every province in the country, with the exception of Villa Clara and Guantanamo — Praise God! We need to continue to improve the work of the seminary to prepare future professors, pastors, and missionaries through seminars like the one the Cristo Ahora team is sharing on the book of Romans. We need more marriage enrichment and encouragement training. Our families hunger and thirst for support and training about marriage in a pastors’ family!”
During this time, R and James met with pastors from all over the island, and Debbie and Elizabeth met with the pastors’ wives in small groups. Throughout, our team also visited local churches and church plants and I provided the messages at four churches. We were also blessed to meet the leader of Child Evangelism Fellowship on the Island. Grace Church Waldorf sent medicines and Bible materials that we were able to donate to the students and their families. This enabled us to care for immediate medicinal needs because medicine is impossible to find.
The following week we moved to downtown Havana, met up with Daniel Sandoval of Spanish World Missions, and held meetings with a Seminary President, Ramon Guilarte. R said, “Ramon is planning to leave Cuba to go to another country. This is not uncommon for the best of the best. It was said that the leading export of Cuba is their well-trained leaders leaving their country and going to places like Spain….in spite of the astronomical growth of the church, one pastor estimates 40 to 45 percent of his key leaders have left. Since so many have left Cuba (current estimate is 1 million have left in the last year due to the shortages), the seminary students were so thankful we were coming to share Christ’s Word with them. I spoke about hope. Many Cubans feel hopeless about their situation…I told them that my hope is not in the government or in the economy; my hope is in Jesus Christ!”
We also met with Pastor Esteban Gonzales of First Baptist Church of Moa Bethany, who drove all the way from Moa, a 14-hour drive over terrible roads, to meet with us and share his burdens for his country and fellow Christians there. Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church Pastors Kip Cone and Bruce Barlow have established an on-going relationship with the church there in Moa, so this was very encouraging!
Last, we met with US Ambassador Mike Hammer to discuss religious freedom for beleaguered evangelicals. The work of Christ and His Church is growing in Cuba faster than anywhere else in the West and Caribbean! Yet, the work of Christ needs more help from believers who will give, go, share, and work as one for Christ on this amazing island!
Luke 10:2 says, “And he said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’” Will you join in praying for the Church in Cuba, and for this team as they make plans for their next trip to minister alongside our brothers and sisters there?