Leadership Training in Cuba

“Cuba for Christ” is the theme of the church in Cuba! That statement did not shock me – what did was this statement: “Thousands are coming to Christ every month.”

I just returned from one of the most rewarding trips I have ever made. The desire for me to make this trip started five years ago, but the timing was not right earlier – this was the time.

EQUIP, in partnership with Lidere, has been working in Cuba for a number of years. Today the faith- based community in Cuba is being led by great leaders, who are taking their faith-based community to new heights. They have and are developing their character, their skills and the strategic formation necessary to accomplish far more than we could ever have imagined. All this is possible because of the work of our partners- John Vereecken, who has been working in Cuba for 15 plus years, and those who have supported EQUIP.

I found Cuba to be a place of wonder. The scenery is outstanding. The people are incredibly friendly and passionate even though they live under strict restrictions and governmental control. They were not asking for prayer for freedom or anything close to that, what the “faith-based leaders” asked is for us to pray that their dream would become a reality. Their dream is to see “Cuba for Christ.” The people I interacted with have what I would call a purposeful peace. They know their purpose in life and they know why they are here and they know what they are to do. This was all settled a long time ago so the story they are writing is both a personal and corporately amazing chapter in God’s story.

I would describe Cuba as ripe for harvest. They have planted, plowed and cultivated. Today they are reaping a harvest like no other time in history.

Cuba is a rather small but significant island. It has 82 different denominations and they have learned how to work together as one. Yes, there are some on the fringes but the vast majority has learned that more can be accomplished together than apart.

One faith-based group had 3 people three years ago and today it has over 2,000. They give all credit to God and say that He brought the EQUIP training to help them develop as leaders to do their part to the fullest and best of their ability.

We had 350 pastors from different denominations and from every providence of the island who attended our third training. All are training a minimum of 25 others. Most are training other pastors in their region and for that reason we continue to reprint more manuals for Notebook 1 and Notebook 2 even though we just taught Notebook 3.

Also attending were 8 different para-church leaders, one a former voodoo doctor who today leads 50 Bible schools across the island.....top leaders of faith from east Cuba to west Cuba are coming for Biblical leadership training and ALL (I mean ALL!) are developing others and ALL are doing something for the Great Commission with that training.

All over Cuba pastors and para-church leaders are discipling those coming to faith. They can hardly keep up; however, as one pastor said, “With the help of a local Bible school and EQUIP we have all we need to train others in God’s ways, we need nothing more – please continue to come and teach us.”

One para-church pastor reminded me through his story that our love of God should transcend our daily problems.

Another pastor from the western part of Cuba where they lost everything in last year’s hurricanes said, “I need nothing more, I have the Bible and my notebooks from EQUIP, it is really all I need.” By the way, this pastor oversees seven churches and many more cell groups. Every building in his town was wiped out. All seven church buildings are gone -almost every home was gone. He has received very little outside help, yet he has rebuilt homes (not his own) and one church so far.

Another pastor has “lost” a great majority of his congregation as they fled to other countries; but as they fled, they have begun new churches, and now this pastor oversees two churches in Cuba and others in Mexico and Costa Rica. He is unable to leave the country of Cuba, but his influence and leadership is felt far outside where he is.

Do you get the feeling that I can go on and on? You’re right, but I shall end with one more highlight. This will give you a taste of what God is doing in Cuba.

I trust I will never lose what I saw that last night: In the front row, as a key faith leader stood with his wife and daughter, I watched as a river of tears flowed down his face. We were standing together singing “My chains are gone, I have been set free, my God, my Savior has rescued me…” It truly is all because of His amazing grace!

Oh, yes, the church is alive and well in Cuba! Pray with me for a renewed passion as we continue to come alongside of the pastors in Cuba.



Tom Atema
Vice President of International Ministries and Strategic Partnerships


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