Parishioners raise their arms in praise during worship at Vedado Methodist Church in Havana, Cuba. Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS.
Children gather for worship at the Quessua Methodist Church in Malange, Angola.
Who Are We?
CUBA Ministry exists to see Jesus Christ’s glory displayed through the power of prayer and relationship between Christians in Cuba, Angola, and the United States. Initiated in 1997, our work is accomplished through Sister Church relationships formed between churches of multiple denominations in the US, the Methodist Churches in Cuba, and the Quessua Methodist Mission in Angola. We send mission teams, support pastors, partner with churches, and build bonds of Christian fellowship.
A team from America celebrates with their sister church in Santiago de Cuba.
A Florida team with Angolan partners organize 1,300 lbs of lifesaving medicines taken by the team for the Quessua hospital.
Sister Church Relationships in Cuba
Sister Churches establish a bond of relationship and prayer with one another, brought together by their shared faith in Jesus Christ. The only financial commitment that is expected from the US Church is $300 per year (as a love offering for the Cuban pastoral family). The focus is not on money but rather on prayer and relationship. Occasional mission trips are taken to Cuba to meet the church pastors and members, form relationships, and deliver much needed medicine and supplies. Through this relationship and prayer, many churches are led to take this to the next level by providing clean water systems, helping put on marriage or children’s ministries, doing construction projects, or a variety of other ministry opportunities. Each relationship is unique and is molded by God, however, the primary focus is mutual prayer and relationship.
Pastor Ricardo Rivero and his wife Ana Maria Torres, along with their son Ricardo David, started a Methodist Mission in Placetas, Cuba. Rivero, a former mason, made repairs to the home, which also serves as a worship space. Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS.
About The Methodist Church in Cuba
The Methodist Church in Cuba is an autonomous denomination which has a rich history with, but separate from, other Methodist denominations in the USA. What initially began as a ministry between the United Methodist Church in Florida and the Methodist Church in Cuba has since expanded to include Christian churches from multiple denominations and non-denominational churches around the USA. All faithful Christian Churches are welcomed in the mission of glorifying Jesus Christ in Cuba.
The Methodist Church in Cuba is:
- Transforming people’s lives in Cuba with the Gospel of Jesus Christ
- Growing at around 10% each year and has been for 20+ years
- One of the largest and fastest growing denominations in Cuba with now over 450 churches
- Poised for continued growth with over 1300 “missions” where future churches are being planted in under-reached areas
God is doing an amazing work on the island of Cuba through the Methodist Church in Cuba that you will never see on the news. Those who have seen it with their own eyes know how astounding this is and the joy we receive from being a part of it.
The Marianao Methodist Church is a long-established presence in Havana, Cuba and the pastoral home of Bishop Ricardo Pereira. Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS.
A baptism in Cuba being performed by Bishop Pereira.
About the Quessua Methodist Mission in Angola
Before the civil war in Angola (1975-2002), the Quessua Methodist Mission was a center of excellence in the country as it accommodated the best agricultural demonstration farms, poultry and livestock breeding. This magnificent place, spanning thousands of acres, was not only the heart and soul of Methodism in Angola but also the most important center of education and health for the entire country! During the war Quessua was completely destroyed and surrounded by land mines.
In 2004, the Florida Conference and the East Angola Conference of the UMC started a partnership based on love and mutual collaboration. Over the last 15+ years the entire mission has been rebuilt and ministries started while restoring lives is an on-going effort of the partnership. This ministry has since expanded to welcome and include Christians and Churches from multiple denominations as well as non-denominational churches.
Missionaries of the Cuban Methodist Church now serve at the Quessua Mission while being supported by covenant churches in Florida. Over the last decade, a significant expansion of the partnership has taken place with new initiatives related to health, clean water, education, and evangelism.
An altar call during a Celebrate Jesus Evangelistic Campaign.
Mobile clinic at the Mufongo Village in Angola, a mile from the mission site.
Our History
Prior to the 1960’s, the Methodist Church in Cuba was part of the United Methodist Church and had a shared bishop with the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. However, due to political differences during that time between Cuba and the US this relationship changed and The Methodist Church in Cuba became an autonomous church separate from the United Methodist denomination.
Recognizing the mutual bond they had in Christ and the rich history shared, the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church and Methodist Church in Cuba met in the 1990’s to discuss a mutually beneficial ministry partnership. Though this process, a covenant ministry called the Cuba/Florida Covenant (later called Methodists United in Prayer) was born. This covenant was meant for the purposes of praying for one another, building interpersonal relationships, engaging in the interchange of people, and helping meet the needs of the Methodist Church in Cuba.
Over the past 20+ years, this ministry has expanded to partner with a wide variety of Christian churches and denominations and its reach has expanded far outside of Florida. God has used this growth in a special way to expand His Kingdom in Cuba, in Angola, and here in the US as together we grow closer to Christ.
Through this ministry, deep personal bonds are being created, countless people are being prayed for, trips are being taken, much needed supplies are delivered, churches are being constructed and revived, lives are being shared, the sick are being healed, the hungry are being fed, young men and women are receiving college educations, clean water is being made available to entire communities, people’s lives are being drastically changed, and many are coming to know and follow Jesus Christ.
A team from America gathers for a service with their sister church in a rural area on the eastern side of Cuba.
Worshippers at a partially destroyed church building in Angola. The scars of the war still visible through the bullet holes in the front wall.
HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?
If this sounds like something you might be interested in, let us know and we will provide you with more information on how you or your church can get involved. It’s easier than it may sound. We will be here to guide you each step of the way and, with over 20 years experience, we have all the resources necessary to make it easy. We’re excited to see what God will do next. Will you choose to be a part of what God is doing in Cuba and Angola?