GEOGRAPHY

Area 465,468 sq.km. The largest island in the Caribbean.

Capital Havana 2,077,000. Urbanites 76%.

PEOPLES

Hispanic 99%. Mulatto 51%, White 37%, Black 11%.

Other 1%. Indo-Pakistani 34,000; Chinese 20,000; Arabs 10,000; US Military at Guantánamo Military Base 7,000.

Literacy 96%. Official language Spanish.

ECONOMY

Production of sugar and nickel ore have been the mainstays of the economy. Repressive centralized socialist planning, a US trade embargo and the collapse of Cuba’s Communist bloc trade and aid after 1989 have impoverished an already poor country. Rationing, hunger and lack of many essentials are deeply affecting the country, yet there have been great advances in literacy, education and health, and a reduction in infant mortality. Tourism has increased in recent years. HDI 0.765; 58^th/174. Public debt 77% of GNP. Income/person $1,170 (5% of USA).

POLITICS

Independent from Spain in 1898. Castro’s revolution brought Communism to power in 1959. After 30 years of vigorously exporting revolution to Latin America and Africa, Cuba remains one of the last protagonists of Communism. The police state is diplomatically isolated and politically paranoid, but with no viable alternative government, the old dictatorship continues.

RELIGION

Strict control of all church activities and repression of religious freedom in earlier years of Communist rule, but since 1990 the degree of pressure has lessened. The 1992 constitution declared Cuba ‘secular’ and discrimination against Christians, illegal. In practice, periodic harrassment of Catholics and Evangelicals continues.

Missionaries from Cuba
P,I,A 28 in 5 agencies; 22 in Cuba.

Expatriates with ministry to Cuba
P,I,A 21 in 10 agencies.

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Answers to Prayer

1 The void created by Communism is being filled by Christianity, Communism’s arch-rival. During the ‘90s there has been rapid church growth despite ongoing hostility and frequent acts of harassment against Christians. Many congregations are filled with young people despite 40 years of Marxist propaganda.

2 The greater freedom to print Bibles in Cuba or import from abroad.

3 Evangelicals were allowed to convene 19 public rallies in 1999. The largest in Havana, which Castro himself attended, drew 100,000 Christians. Castro’s own son is an active believer in the Methodist Church.

Challenges to Prayer

1 A peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy. Fidel Castro clings to power with his battle-cry ‘Socialism or Death’, but Christians proclaim ‘Cuba for Christ’. May the latter be true.

2 The healing of the wounds inflicted by Marxism:

a) An estimated 50,000+ lost their lives and 500,000 were imprisoned for ideological reasons. Much anger and bitterness will need to be cleansed from hearts by the blood of Jesus.

b) Over one million Cubans have become ideological or economic refugees — many in Florida, USA. Both the USA and Cuba have used refugees as another weapon of war.

c) Economic hardship is widespread; survival is only possible in the illegal ‘black’ economy and through deceit. Many have turned to crime, drug-running and prostitution in their need. This moral rot must be excised from society if future generations are to be spared.

d) Divisions among Christians. The government has given support and favour to the more ecumenical Cuban Council of Churches (CCC) and the 22 denominations associated with it. The 32 other denominations have had a more difficult time.

3 Cubans were highly secularized before 1959 with 61% regular church-goers. The further loss of influence of the Catholic Church after 1959 was catastrophic. Nominal adherence to Catholicism dropped from 85% in 1957 to 38.5% in 1983, and the number of priests from 725 to 200. Since the Pope’s visit in 1998, the Catholic Church has revived and church attendance has increased. Pray that millions might come to personal faith in Christ.

4 The Protestant churches were decimated by several waves of emigration to the USA, a move encouraged by the authorities. Recovery and growth was slow, but out of the furnace of persecution high-quality leadership and committed membership arose that witnessed fervently. Since 1989 growth has become spectacular with churches springing up in every corner of Cuba. Evangelicals now outnumber church-going Catholics. The 1,250 evangelical congregations in 1990 has increased to possibly 4,500 congregations and a further 10,000 house groups in 54 denominations. A high proportion of the new Christians are young people. Pray that this growth may continue whatever the political situation.

5 Persecution of Christians has been severe, Catholics suffering even more than Protestants. For decades Christians were subject to arbitrary arrest, imprisonment, discrimination, and any church activities were restricted or arbitrarily banned. All open witness, evangelism and literature production and distribution was made almost impossible. That persecution has diminished but not ceased, but the capriciousness of its application breeds insecurity. Applications for registering or repairing churches are routinely ignored. Discipleship is still costly but many are prepared to pay the price and shine for Jesus. Pray for continued courage and fortitude for believers, and for complete religious freedom.

6 Leadership for the churches is a pressing need. Many had to flee or were expelled in the years following the revolution. Praise God for those who stood firm for Jesus and who have become mighty for God in the school of suffering. There are now a dozen evangelical and two Catholic Bible schools or seminaries. Student numbers are limited by lack of teaching materials, theologically trained faculty, and the widespread poverty. Pray that the number of formally and informally trained leaders might be multiplied. Pray also for visionary leadership for the churches that enables them to cope with the massive changes soon to come. Freedom can also be dangerous.

7 The less reached:

a) The unchurched majority. Church attendance was once the lowest for any country in the Western hemisphere. This has risen in the 1990s, but 80% of the population still has no meaningful contact with a church.

b) Spiritism has been actively supported by the government as ‘cultural’. Afro-Caribbean religions under a thin veneer of Catholicism have huge followings. There may be more than 3 million devotees of Santaria and other cults such as Mayombe and Zarabanda which resemble Haitian voodoo. Pray that Christians may exercise love, understanding and spiritual power to see many delivered from this satanic bondage.

c) The Chinese, Indians and Arabs have been largely assimilated into the Hispanic majority, but still retain much of their old culture. Little is being done to specifically reach them.

8 Foreign missions have been restricted to tactful support and occasional pastoral visits from outside the country. A few were permitted to remain in a low-profile teaching ministry. Pray that missions may plan wisely for the day that Cuba is free once more. The Cuban Church will need humble, helping ministries rather than high-publicity, foreign-generated programmes and aid.

9 There are about one million Cuban refugees living in the USA. These were mainly from the white middle and upper classes but more recently from all sections of society. It is estimated that 80% are Catholic and 10% are Protestant. Pray that freedom may come to their land again and permit their return, but also that God might enable them to understand, adapt and be a blessing to, a very different country from the one they left.

10 Christian help ministries for prayer:

a) Bible distribution — the famine for God’s Word has not ended despite a dramatic increase of copies available. Praise God that after 25 years of closure, the Cuban Bible Society reopened in 1990. Nearly one million copies of the Scriptures have been printed in Cuba on the Bible Society press, and a further 150,000 copies annually are imported legally. Yet a large consignment was destroyed by the authorities in 1999 as ‘subversive’. The Catholics were permitted to import 100,000 Bibles in 1998. It is still difficult for many in non-CCC churches to obtain Bibles.

b) Christian literature has been scarcely obtainable for years. More can now be imported, but permission for local printing is difficult to obtain. There are few resources for pastors and preachers. Pray that this hunger might be satisfied.

c) Christian radio has been a source of strength and encouragement to many. There is no lack of choice with about 2,800 hours of international Christian broadcasting in Spanish every week from Latin America! The main providers are TWR, FEBC and HCJB. Local broadcasting is still not permitted.

d) The JESUS film is available in Spanish and widely used when possible. Pray for its impact on a population with scant knowledge of the gospel.