How did it Begin?
A Story of Faith, Perseverance, and Partnership
Mrs. Renee Kincaid and Mr. Terry Denham, former Secretary and Chairperson of CUBA Ministry, respectively.
Christianity in Cuba has endured extraordinary challenges while producing remarkable spiritual fruit.
During Spanish rule, Cuba was officially a Roman Catholic colony, as Spain sought to spread Christianity throughout the New World. Yet the island's religious life became far more complex than simple Catholic observance. Enslaved West Africans brought their own religious traditions, many of which blended with Catholic practices to form Afro-Cuban faiths such as Santería. As a result, many Cubans practiced elements of both traditions.
Following Spain's defeat in the Spanish-American War in 1898, Cuba gained its independence. Protestant denominations from the United States soon began sending missionaries to the island. New congregations were established in homes, hotels, and other gathering places, laying the foundation for vibrant evangelical and Methodist ministries across Cuba.
The greatest challenge to Christianity came after the Cuban Revolution of 1959. Fidel Castro's government viewed many established churches as potential threats to the new socialist state. Church schools and other private educational institutions were nationalized or closed, and many church properties were confiscated.
The impact on the church was devastating. Within a few years, the number of clergy declined dramatically as missionaries, priests, pastors, and many Christian leaders left the island. In less than two years, all 53 United Methodist missionaries from the United States had departed. All but five ordained Cuban Methodist pastors and their families also emigrated.
Faced with empty pulpits and growing congregations, the church responded with extraordinary faith. Young adults—and even young women, uncommon for that time—answered God's call to preach, teach, and serve throughout the countryside. What appeared to be a time of great weakness became the beginning of a remarkable spiritual renewal.
During the early 1960s, Cuba officially declared itself an atheist socialist state. Christians often experienced discrimination in employment, education, and public life. Yet the church endured. As Methodist historian Dr. Matthew Ware observed, Christianity had taken root in "fertile, though troubled, soil." Despite enormous obstacles, Cuban believers faithfully contended for the faith, trusting that God would continue His work.
During the 1980s and early 1990s, the Cuban government gradually relaxed restrictions on religious practice. In 1992, Cuba officially changed its constitutional status from an atheist state to a secular one, allowing churches greater freedom to worship and minister.
A significant turning point came in December 1994 when Bishop H. Hasbrouck Hughes visited the Methodist Church in Cuba. Cuban Christians warmly welcomed him and expressed a deep desire to restore the fellowship they had once shared with their brothers and sisters in Florida. Many admitted they had felt isolated—and some even "abandoned"—during the decades of separation.
Yet God had been faithfully preparing His church. During those difficult years, the Holy Spirit transformed the Cuban church from within, laying the spiritual foundation for extraordinary growth in the years that followed.
In July 1996, with the support of Bishop Cornelius Henderson, the Cuba/Florida Covenant Task Force was formed to re-establish and strengthen relationships between Christians in Cuba and Florida. I was deeply honored to serve as a member of that Task Force.
My own journey made this work especially meaningful. I came to the United States on June 3, 1961, and did not return to my beloved homeland until 1997. Since then, God has graciously allowed me to return many times to serve alongside His people in Cuba. It has been one of the greatest blessings of my life.
The Cuba/Florida Covenant was formally ratified in 1997. Its purpose was to strengthen the bonds of Christian love between churches in Cuba and the United States and to support local congregations, pastors, and church members through prayer, fellowship, and shared ministry.
The Covenant called believers to pray for one another, exchange mission teams, pastors, teachers, and lay leaders, respond to the priorities identified by the Cuban church, and build lasting relationships that would encourage both nations in their shared mission of making disciples for Jesus Christ.
In 2009, the ministry became Methodists United in Prayer, and later Christians United By Amor (CUBA) Ministry, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Although the name has changed, its mission, vision, and purpose have remained steadfast.
The growth of the Methodist Church in Cuba has been nothing short of remarkable. In 1959, there were approximately 120 chartered churches and missions. Today, there are more than 630 chartered churches, over 1,300 missions and house congregations, and tens of thousands of people actively participating in worship, discipleship, and church life. An additional 50,000 seekers are enrolled in discipleship classes, where they study Scripture, learn the practices of stewardship and faithful Christian living, and prepare for baptism and church membership.
Since its inception, Cuba Ministry has sent countless mission teams across the island. These teams visit sister churches, participate in conferences and youth camps, encourage pastors, and bring much-needed supplies. We often say that we travel to Cuba carrying material gifts, but we always return carrying something far greater—the joy, faith, and inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
The partnership has also flourished in the opposite direction. Cuban pastors and lay leaders have visited churches throughout the United States, sharing God's Word, strengthening congregations, and experiencing the love and hospitality of their American brothers and sisters.
Over the past three decades, thousands of volunteers and generous supporters have provided financial assistance, medicines, food, educational materials, and countless other resources to help meet both physical and spiritual needs throughout Cuba. Together, they have reminded the Cuban church that they are never alone.
As Scripture reminds us:
"Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." — Ecclesiastes 4:12
With God's blessing and the extraordinary generosity of faithful Christians, this partnership has carried hope to even the most remote communities across the island.
Next year, Cuba Ministry will joyfully celebrate 30 years of serving our Lord through this unique partnership. Across the Florida Straits, believers have demonstrated that the love of Christ knows no borders. Together we continue to fulfill the Great Commission—making disciples of Jesus Christ, encouraging one another in faith, and always being "prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Peter 3:15).
To God be the glory for all that He has done—and for all that He has yet to do!