226th General Assembly Resolution
[July, 2024] By way of the consent agenda presented by the International Engagement Committee, the 226th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) approved the commissioner’s resolution by consensus on reaching out in concern for the Presbyterian Reformed Church in Cuba and the people of Cuba. The resolution:
- Urges the agencies of our denomination to find ways to respond to the economic crisis that afflicts the people of Cuba and our siblings in the Presbyterian Reformed Church in Cuba and to report their progress to the 227th General Assembly;
- Calls upon the Stated Clerk to declare a church-wide Sunday of Prayer for the Presbyterian Reformed Church in Cuba; and
- Urgently calls upon the Government of the United States to respond to the dire humanitarian crisis in the nation of Cuba by removing Cuba from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSOT).
Additional News
- Download the Baltimore – Cuba Partnership Brochure
- Consider undertaking a partnership with a Cuban church. Contact Morgana Kinlan for more information at cuba_team@icloud.com
- The 60 year old embargo that has failed to change their government and only makes normal Cuban lives miserable.
- The State Sponsored Terrorism designation that makes money transfer impossible without hand delivery and impedes Cubans from accessing regular items.
Background
Our Presbytery to Presbytery Partnership was formally organized in 2004 and established as a formal agreement in 2015. As part of the agreement, member churches of the Presbytery of Baltimore developed a team of representatives from each congregation to partner with congregations in El Centro Presbytery, Reformed Presbyterian Church of Cuba. The team meets monthly to develop ways to support and encourage our relationships with our sisters and brothers in Cuba, as well as pray, worship and celebrate our mutual faith and cultural exchange.
Church to Church Partnerships
| Presbiterio el Centro | Presbytery of Baltimore | Date Est. |
| Paraiso Obrero | Light Street PC | 2005 |
| Meneses | Faith PC | 2009 |
| Iguara | Faith PC | 2009 |
| Calabazar de Sagua | First PC of Howard County | 2011 |
| Sagua la Grande | Hunting Ridge PC | 2014 |
| Taguasco | First & Franklin PC | 2015 |
| Encrucijada | Covenant | 2016 |
| Sancti Spiritus | Woods Memorial PC | 2016 |
| Caibarién | First PC of Annapolis | 2018 |
| Camajuani | Brown Memorial Park Avenue | 2019 |
Our Presbytery Partnership
Our Presbytery to Presbytery Partnership was formally organized in 2004, after five years of a partnership between Ashland Presbyterian and Cabaiguan Presbyterian. In 2015 the Partnership signed an agreement outlining our ongoing relationship. As part of the agreement, Member churches of the Presbytery of Baltimore have developed a team made up of representatives from each congregation with a partner congregation in Cuba. The team meets monthly to take action to maintain our connections with El Centro Presbytery and with one another, provide a platform for discussion, as well as, support and encouragement for all partner congregations. Those actions include:
- jointly planning and organizing a bi-annual Encuentro (Encounter) for Baltimoreans and Cubans
- annually sponsoring two visitors selected by El Centro Presbytery to spend 1-2 weeks participating in Presbytery and congregational life events
- participating in the Cuba Partners Network, making it possible for our Cuban visitors to attend the annual Network meeting with members of Baltimore Presbytery
- traveling to Cuba for a work meeting to plan with El Centro Presbytery leaders for activities for the coming year, providing support for the growth of church to church partnerships
- fostering the development of new church to church partnerships and provide support and encouragement to existing partnerships
- Annual financial support is provided to El Centro Presbytery for the life and mission of the Presbytery
Acknowledging that we share our faith in Jesus Christ as Presbyterians in Cuba and in the US, our mission is to join in solidarity with members of the El Centro Presbytery, Reformed Presbyterian Church of Cuba. We do this through: prayer, worship, celebration and the mutual exchange of visits and cultures.
Cuba Partnership Resources
How to Form a Church to Church Partnership
Recognizing that our goal is to develop a trusting relationship between partner churches, we acknowledge the strengths and limitations of individual churches in the United States and in Cuba. The following guidelines are suggested for forming vibrant partnerships.
Preparing for a Visit to Your Cuban Partner Church
Partnership Agreement (pdf)
A partnership between the Presbytery of Baltimore, PC (USA) and Central Presbytery of the Synod of the Cuban Presbyterian Reformed Church
Inviting Cuban Colleagues to Visit the U.S. (pdf)
Hosting a Presbyterian partner from Cuba can be a wonderful experience for a congregation or presbytery.
History of the Presbyterian Church in Cuba
The connection between U.S. and Cuban Presbyterians began in 1890 with the work of a Cuban layman and former Baptist lay preacher, Evaristo Collazo, and his wife, Magdalena. They started a day school in their home in Havana, which included Bible studies. Collazo wrote to the Board of Foreign Missions of the Southern Presbyterian Church asking for assistance. The PCUS sent Rev. Anthony Graybill to Havana. He baptized 40 adults, organized a congregation, ordained elders, and ordained Collazo to the ministry and installed him as pastor.
By 1904, there were seven Presbyterian churches in Havana. They were organized into a presbytery and became part of the Synod of New Jersey. Between 1904 and 1960, the Presbyterian Church in Cuba continued to grow with strong support from the U.S. Presbyterian Church through its Board of National Missions. By 1959, the Presbytery of Cuba had 4,300 members in 34 congregations with 46 ministers. Further, there were 1,400 students in a number of Presbyterian schools, primarily located in the provinces of Villa Clara and Sancti Spiritus (the location of the Central Presbytery of Cuba).
In 1961, two years after the revolution that brought Castro to power, the U.S. broke diplomatic relations with Cuba and imposed an embargo. Castro declared Communism as the form of government and confiscated the schools and clinics of the churches. Subsequently the Presbyterian Church in Cuba rapidly declined. The U.S. Presbyterian Church was unable to support and communicate with its Cuban brothers and sisters. Many Cuban pastors and lay leaders left the country.
By 1979, membership in the Cuban Presbyterian Church had dropped to 1,289. In fact, it was women who sustained the church as men left the church for fear of losing their jobs. Children were even asked at school on Monday if they had attended church over the weekend. If they said yes, teachers were required to report it to the government. This is not to suggest that being a Christian in Cuba at this time was dangerous, though at times it was, but more than anything it was a great and difficult disadvantage.
In 1985, representatives of the PC(USA) mission agencies were permitted to travel to Cuba to meet with the PRCC. A Joint Mission Agreement, approved by both denominations in 1986, among other things approved the formation of partnership between presbyteries of the two churches. In 1990, 75 Protestant church leaders met with Castro to discuss church‐state relations. After the meetings, Castro stated in a broadcast over Cuban national TV that religious groups were providing important support for the Cuban people in a time of great stress and should be respected. Laws were subsequently changed to permit religious believers to become members of the Communist party and that Cuba was no longer to be defined as an atheist state. Most analysts strongly believed that the disintegration of the Soviet bloc, which resulted in immediate and catastrophic economic collapse in Cuba, was a significant factor in Castro’s decision.
There are now some 90 church partnerships from 15 presbyteries around the U.S. Our partnership with Cuban Presbyterians is broad and deep.
El Centro Cuba Partnership
Carol Kefford, Treasurer – Light Street
Betty Schroll, Secretary – First & Franklin
Mozella Williams, Chandra Jackson – Faith PC
Betty Schroll – First and Franklin PC
Jill Williamson, Marty Clayton – Woods Memorial PC
Jamie Wilkins – Hunting Ridge PC
Carol Keffer, Keith Syler – Light Street PC
Morgana Kinlan, Matt Mickel, and Deb Baer – Brown Memorial PC
JoAnn Ruther (formerly of Light Street), Michele Ward – Ashland PC
