Ben Peays and I were privileged to travel to Cuba last week to be part of a pastors’ conference outside of Havana. We joined David Jackman, Juan Sanchez, and others in a unique gathering of 140 Cuban pastors from 13 evangelical denominations and groups across the island. Our hosts were Alexis Perez and Elio Martiz from Equipo Impacto, an indigenous ministry with a vision to train church leaders in biblical theology, as well as preaching and pastoral ministry.
We saw first hand, the great need for this type of ministry. In the past, most of these leaders were not willing to cross denominational lines to work together, but God has wrought a new unity around the core of the Gospel message.
As is so common in the Global South, the church is growing rapidly, but biblical understanding is shallow. Evangelical churches across Cuba are numerous and growing widely—though not without opposition and difficulty. Economic conditions are extremely challenging and poverty is widespread. It is generally not possible to erect new church buildings, so much of the growth occurs through a proliferation of home-based meetings associated with existing churches.
Internet access is expensive and essentially stuck in dial-up speeds. Christian books are very difficult to come by on the island. I spoke with several pastors who explained that any books they have obtained have come through friends outside the country bringing them in their luggage.
For several years, International Outreach sought openings to provide Spanish-language theological resources to leaders in Cuba, to no avail. The door finally opened when we came into contact with Equipo Impacto and learned that they had the capability of printing books on the island since it was impossible to bring in large quantities from the outside.
This is a very recent development and a great opportunity. Through this means we were able to print 1,000 copies of John Piper’s Finally Alive in Spanish. These books will be donated directly into the hands of pastors across Cuba.
• Please pray for Cuba and for these pastors who are receiving biblical teaching and resources.
• Pray whether the Lord would have you, your small group, or your church adopt a Theological Famine Relief project.
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!
Is there enough evidence for us to believe the Gospels?
In an age of faith deconstruction and skepticism about the Bible’s authority, it’s common to hear claims that the Gospels are unreliable propaganda. And if the Gospels are shown to be historically unreliable, the whole foundation of Christianity begins to crumble.
