THE MISSIONARY DISTRICT OF CUBA
In July of 2003 the Diocese received an email from Cuba, asking us
to provide Episcopal oversight to a small group that wished to
affiliate with the Reformed Episcopal Church. As none of the bishops
in the USA could oversee Cuba because of the existing embargo in
place, it fell to this diocese to respond, and we did.
In the fall of 2003, Bishop Charles Dorrington travelled to Cuba to
investigate this interesting request. He found a small group of
people trying their best to be REC. The bishop caught the vision of
the group and gave them and their Pastor permission to proceed and
refer to themselves as n REC Church plant.
The following spring, Bishop Charles travelled to Cuba again, this
time with his wife Claudia. An inspection of the proceedings of the
church group was done, and the bishop found things not at all to his
liking, insomuch that he immediately dismissed the Pastor, re-formed
the group and appointed another man, Ramon Torrente Batista, a
former Pentecostal Pastor, to the position of Pastor. The church was
named Iglesia San Marcos, consisting of the Pastor and eight people
Subsequent visits to Moa proved that this decision was right, as the
church grew, and is now a functioning parish of 195 people, under
the able leadership of the Rev’d. William, who succeeded Ramon when
he was made the Archdeacon of the Missionary District of Cuba..
Three years ago, a man named Reinaldo Blanchette, who lived in Ciego
de Avila made himself known to Ramon. He was on his own as a lay
preacher, having studied in the for some years in the Pentecostal
Church, and was leading three house churches in and about the City..
After travelling back and forth between Moa and Ciego de Avila for a
year, studying with Ramon, augmenting his previous studies, the
Bishop examined him for the Office of Lay Reader and found him both
knowledgeable and capable in the ministry. Reinaldo was made a Lay
Reader in 2007. In 2008 the Bishop made him a Deacon with special
Licence to celebrate Holy Communion. His church, San Juan
Evangelista now numbers 95 souls worshipping in three locations.
Since 2006, the Bishop has been assisted in his Cuban travels by a
translator named Walter Gonzales. Walter was member of the Nazarene
Church, but transferred his membership to the REC in 2007 as a
result of finding a deeper walk with the Lord through the help of
the Book of Common Prayer and its services. In 2008 he was made a
Lay Reader for the purpose of starting a house church in the City of
Holguin. Like Reinaldo, Walter had also taken theological studies.
Walter was also a High School teacher. He began his house group in
October 2008, and by the spring of 2009 it had grown to number 45
people. In June 2009 the Bishop made Walter a Deacon with special
Licence to celebrate Holy Communion.
During the 2009 Mission Trip, Charles and Claudia were introduced to
a man, Juan Ezequiel, who had been a Lay Reader in the Episcopal
Church of Cuba, but who had left that church ten years previously
due to a growing discontent within that denomination. During these
ten years, he maintained a group of worshippers, meeting in the
building that had been the Episcopal Chapel in las Margaritas.
Archdeacon Ramon had been approached by clergy members, and the
assistant bishop of the Episcopal Church to see if we would be
interested in becoming this man’s episcopal oversight. Upon
examination of his abilities and training, and the agreement of his
church leadership, and agreement was reached and Iglesia San Juan
Apostol has become the fourth church in the Mission District with
Juan Ezequiel being licenced as a Lay Reader in the REC. This church
has 120 members.
Archdeacon Ramon is busy in downtown Havana, where he has moved with his wife Dalvis, the Deaconess of the District. They are in the midst of renovating a three story apartment in a large building, creating a church setting on the main floor, with classrooms for Sunday School and living quarters in the remaining space. This church is named El Alosento Alto (The Upper Room). Over eight familes oined this church when Ramon opened the doors in Easter 2010. This is the only church in a fifteen block area of the dountown of Havana.
At the beginning of the 2010 trip in May, there were four churches of the REC in Cuba, with 2 priests and 2 Deacons. These Churches were San Marcos which began in 2003 in the City of Moa; San Juan Evangelista which began in 2007 in the City of Ciego de Avila, San Pablo which began in Holguin in 2009 in the City of Holguin, and San Juan Apostol which began in Las Margaritas, Florida in 2009.
At the conclusion of our 2010 visit, we had added two more churches, a second church in Florida named San Pablo de Florida, and El Aposento Alto (The Upper Room) located in Havana. we now have six churches, 3 priests, 3 deacons, 1 deaconess, and three Lay Readers. I baptized 31 new Christians, confirmed 48, blessed 19 marriages, ordained one man a priest and made two men deacons. Our total membership in Cuba now stands at 525 people. In Holguin this year, we managed to acquire a property that can be used as their church meeting place, allowing them to no longer have to squeeze over 30 people into an 11 by 11 foot room. This was made possible by a special donation from a member of Holy Trinity who the Lord had touched the night before we left Victoria. He instructed her to give us a cheque in the amount of $3000, exactly the amount needed to buy the building, cover the lawyer’s fees, and do minimal renovations to allow Ramiro and his wife to be able to live there.
This work in Cuba is a definite call of the Lord on this Diocese,
and we welcome the assistance all those who would wish to support
this outreach. Financial gifts may be sent to the Diocese office at 70-7570 Tetayut Road, Saanichton, B.C., V8M 2H4. Cheques should be made out to "The
Diocese of Western Canada and Alaska." The Bishop and Claudia travel
each year to Cuba, taking this help with them, visiting all of the
Parishes, conducting many services, including Confirmation. All
donations to the Diocese are Tax Deductible and will be receipted.
We ask for your prayers that the sowing of the seed of the Gospel
will bear great fruit for the Kingdom of God.
And so, we invite any interested person who would like to help support this Mission to contribute to the Diocesan Mission Outreach Fund. Your cheques or money orders can be sent to the Diocesan Office. Thank-you