Day: 8

Church Closings Only Fuel the Spread of The Gospel

Despite the hardships they face from the government (or because of it), the faith of the Cuban church perseveres. They continue to grow in the Lord.

I witnessed frequent church closings during one of my trips. In one area alone, the government closed down 32 of 38 existing home churches.

When this happens, the pastor and his family are thrown out of their home without notice. Alternative housing, such as hotels, are not an option in Cuba. There is often no place for these families to go. It is not safe for them to seek refuge at the home of fellow believers because the government officials might keep watch and throw those believers out of their homes as well.

I spoke with one pastor’s family and found out that they (including their three small children) had been evicted from their home four times!

Although this family suffered mightily, God watched over them. The children became well-adjusted to the situation, and the family was at peace. Every time that they have been evicted from their home, the church has grown. In the words of the wife of this family, “God has used the confiscations and church closings for the unity of the body.”

This pastor’s village has been radically transformed by the Gospel. Previously, the town was filthy and fighting was rampant. As a result, the police were always present. Those conditions were a rich soil for the seed of the gospel. As the Gospel spread, redeeming hearts along the way, God redeemed and restored the town. It is now clean. There is no longer constant fighting or a police presence. The Christians proudly attest that, now, “God is the policeman of our town.”

Cuban Pastors are very disciplined and determined to spread the gospel, despite the personal cost. I’ve stood in the homes of missionary pastors sent into these areas. They live in shacks with dirt floors, outhouses, and beds made of sticks. Their income is mostly in bags of rice and beans from their sheep.

God has used them greatly to expand the church in Cuba. Despite many hardships, the pastors press on, and the ministry in Cuba thrives.  God has truly blessed the labor of these people, and it is evident by their fruit.  Even small children sit quietly for hours at a time, listening intently to the word of God. Some children are even in charge of small groups and lead studies in the word.

Pastors are continually starting new churches in villages that have never received the gospel, areas that they call “virgin ground.” These areas are difficult to reach. Many forces are working against them, such as witchcraft, alcoholism, and the breakdown of the family.

The Cuban Church: To The Nations?

One thing I was always struck by was the growth that comes from this discipline: courage and zeal for the gospel. In one area, 10 Cuban pastors brought 1,108 new believers to Christ in a year.

That number only includes those who have been baptized, are tithing, and are demonstrating noticeable fruit in their lives. They have to complete homework assignments and be faithful in church attendance 3-4 times per week. There is a huge emphasis on discipleship and training, so these new believers are growing and spreading their newfound faith.

Cuban pastors feel the weight of their responsibility to spread the gospel to unreached areas in the country, and they are doing an amazing job. They know that when freedom comes, an economic boom will come with it that will draw many away from the Church. Until that day, they work heartily, knowing the clock is ticking.

Regardless, they look forward to that inevitable day because they know that God is with them and their great dream is take the gospel to all the nations.

A recurring mantra is “The Cuban Church will change the Nations.” They are looking forward to the day when they can go into all the world and share the Gospel of Christ.

The brothers and sisters in Cuba firmly believe that God will use them to change the nations once they are free from their island prison. They know that God will use them to carry his Word throughout the world, and they wait patiently.

They wait for that time to come when, in their words, the “Glory of God” will come to Cuba.

An Invisible Curtain

I don’t doubt their vision. The primary memory that I have from visiting their humble house-churches is the presence of God you feel upon entering these places.

It’s like walking through an invisible curtain. While entering many of these places, I was immediately struck by the presence of God and all that accompanies being in His presence.

It’s something rarely experienced in the West, but I encountered numerous times in Cuba as well as in China. Upon arriving at a house-church, I would find people on their knees who had been there praying for hours.

This is the mark of the Cuban church after the Communists took over and crushed the church. The legacy of this great oppression is the amazing and palpable presence of God you feel in their house-churches.

I walked away from visits to these desperately poor house-churches feeling quite rightly, that I was the poor one, who had visited his rich relatives.