After Decades of Atheism, Churches Sprout Up in Homes
By Edita McQuary
In these Covid pandemic times, it is good to remember that we are a community that cares about people locally, nationally, and internationally. Several local organizations such as Santa Cruz al Salvador; Limitless Horizons Ixil, Guatemala; and Guy Routley’s Cowboy Church visits to China have been connecting with and helping people for a number of years.
Pastor Alexis, his wife Judy, Raul, Elder Ted and Pastor Kevin in front of their tour taxi — a 1950 Chevy Deluxe Styleline convertible, driven by Figaro — in Havana, Cuba.
Before last year’s lockdown, Pastor Kevin Stottrup and Elder Ted Parsons of Aromas Bible Church went on a mission trip to Cuba. An organization called CUPA (“Cuidado Pastoral” i.e., Helping Pastors or Pastoral Care), started by a Cuban national, Pastor Alexis Hernandez, in collaboration with U.S. pastors and missionaries, Eric and Carol Smith, issued the invitation.
The Smiths had been traveling to Cuba for several years to provide training and resources for Cuban pastors in Pastor Hernandez’ leadership conferences. His vision to create an organization that pastors in Cuba could look to “for support, encouragement and accountability” was presented to the Smiths and they agreed to serve as representatives in the U.S.
CUPA, actively working with pastors for over five years, provides Christian training material, humanitarian aid to relieve human suffering, as well as financial aid. They have expanded into 10 of Cuba’s 15 provinces and represent approximately 160 churches.
Eric & Carol Smith with the taxi the group toured Havana in.
Eric said, “To our knowledge, there are no American missionaries living as permanent residents in Cuba. Entrance to Cuba by visiting missionaries requires a mandatory religious visa that is good for two months. There is no open evangelism permitted, only in churches is the gospel shared or by personal invitation to one’s home.”
According to the Smiths, there are now hundreds of “Home Churches” throughout Cuba. The average church ranges from 30 to 100 people. As a result of the lessening of religious restrictions, the Protestant population of Cuba is now estimated at 11%.
Officially, Cuba has been an atheist state for most of the Castro era. In 1962, Fidel Castro’s government seized and shut down more than 400 Catholic churches and schools.
Riding to Havana airport in a less-scrupulous Russion Muskovi taxi.
In 1991, however, the Communist Party lifted its prohibition and in 1992 the constitution was amended to characterize the state as “secular” instead of “atheist.”
The current leader, Raul Castro, after a recent visit with Pope Francis, has stated he has considered returning to the Catholic Church. As his brother, Fidel, grew older, he spent more time with Russian Orthodox bishops.
Because Raul Castro is less authoritarian, some people speculate that religious freedom will continue to grow.
Pastor Kevin and Elder Ted had an adventure just getting through Cuban customs. Their bags were scanned, searched, re-scanned for money and “contraband.”
“For a while, Ted and I thought they would not let us into the country,” said Pastor Kevin. “Just as we thought we’d cleared the hurdles, there was one more at the exit, but thankfully Eric and Carol helped us navigate this inconvenience.”
Figaro the driver (named for being a singer). He works 7 days a week driving a government-owned taxi. He also runs a back-alley barbershop to make ends meet and doesn’t get to see his children much.
He continued: “Ted and I attended the conference in Pinar del Rio, a province in the eastern part of the island. We visited a school that the host church had started in Pinar del Rio. We also heard about many humanitarian projects, for examples providing items such as water filters, etc., requiring only a small amount of money to fund. Given the poverty level we saw, it was heartening to meet Cuban pastors with a heart to serve the needy. We heard that people live on as little as $30 per month. Pastors are paid about $6 per month and usually have to have another way of earning a living.
“In this very poor country, people are humble and, of necessity, very innovative. Some sell fruit from a cart pulled by a bicycle. Our taxi driver drove a government-owned a pink 1950s Chevy Deluxe Styleline convertible. He also had a small rustic hair salon where I got a Cuban haircut.”
The team saw a lot of buildings with dirty, unpainted stucco even in downtown Havana. Some of the balconies had collapsed and were not repaired. They were careful to follow the regulations set forth by the government.
The government must be notified exactly where visitors are staying and that hotel/hostel must be in possession of all visitors’ passports during the entire stay. They were also instructed to avoid topics of conversation that might be considered revolutionary or oppositional to the government.
The Smiths related that on one trip they tried to bring in a wireless microphone sound system for the church. This was confiscated at the airport for fear of it being used for spying or illegally transmitting information out of the country.
“We had a warm and wonderful reception from our ministry hosts and hostel operators,” Pastor Kevin said. “We felt no reason to be fearful on the streets of Pinar del Rio where our conference took place or even in Havana after dark.”
“Taxi drivers and people in Havana were very friendly. They really like American dollars so they are very helpful and friendly, even though we spoke very little Spanish,” said Eric.
How People Can Help
Cell phone recharge program: Most pastors struggle just to provide food and household necessities for their families so cell phone service is unattainable without support from U.S. donors.
Pastor Kevin getting a Cubano haircut.
The cell phone recharge program started as an opportunity to get financial support indirectly to pastors in Cuba. Online phone recharge companies offer double and triple recharge promotional rates twice a month.
Stateside CUPA volunteer staff has a list of CUPA pastors’ phone numbers. Depending on the number of donations received, the pastors’ phones are recharged online during the promotion week.
Once received in Cuba, each pastor passes a portion of the recharge to two other pastors, giving each pastor a month’s worth of cell phone service. A $25 donation, a standard price for recharging one phone that qualifies for a special promotion, will enable three pastors to have one month’s phone service.
Given the very limited transportation and the lack of money for cell phone service, the CUPA program is essential for a pastor to do the work of the ministry.
Thank you to Pastor Kevin Stottrup of Aromas Bible Church, for sharing this information, telephone 831-726-2850.
Pay it forward cell phone recharge donations: www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=X43TFGHEVPK9L&source=url.
An alternate link going into the General Cuba Benevolence Fund: www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RNZXJN8EKSCKC.
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Top Photo: St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral dominates this public square, founded in 1628 in Havana. Castro’s government shut down more than 400 Catholic churches in 1962. The visitors get a ride to the Havana airport in a Russian made Mukovi, with an unsanctioned, non-government taxi driver.