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The announcement that Fidel Castro was temporarily handing over his rule of Cuba surprised Christian ministries working in the region, but they are awaiting evidence of change in the communist country before increasing their presence. The government still restricts missionaries and is antagonistic toward the gospel.

The 80-year-old dictator gave up power to his younger brother, Raul, before undergoing surgery for intestinal bleeding, but Teo Babun, the director of Evangelical Christian Humanitarian Outreach for Cuba (ECHO-Cuba), emphasized that the transition is a temporary one.

"It is important for churches and Christians to recognize that what is happening in Cuba is not what took place in Eastern Europe," said Babun, who emigrated from Cuba in 1961. "It is a temporary cessation of power and not a cessation of the government."

Neither Fidel nor Raul have publicly appeared since the transition, creating increased speculation about the future of the Cuban government. Babun said that ECHO-Cuba, which is based in Miami, has created a hotline to keep churches and ministries updated with accurate information about the situation.

"We are encouraging churches to be informed so that if there is a transition, they can take whatever action they feel is necessary," Babun said.

The current situation does not change the goals of The Cuba Florida Covenant or other Cuban ministries, many of which are based in Florida. They are concentrating on serving the Cuban church regardless of the political situation.

The Cuba Florida Covenant was established in 1997 as a ministry of the Florida United Methodist Conference, which reaches out to more than 200 churches in Cuba. Spokesperson Renee Kincaid said, "We have experienced many political situations in Cuba and tense moments between Cuba and [the] U.S." In an e-mail to Christianity Today, Kincaid continued: "The current situation is no different. The opportunities to minister in Cuba is up to God Almighty, and we don't believe that he is going to close doors to take his Word to Cuba."

The Florida Baptist Convention, which has a 10-year-old partnership with Cuban churches, is waiting for the governmental situation to change before adopting a new policy in Cuba. "It is a little bit premature because no changes have taken place," communications director Barbara Denman said. "Our ministry all along has been about providing pastors with the means and resources to build their churches, and we will continue to hold on to those goals that are already set."

"The ministry opportunities are vast in Cuba," Babun said. Cuban churches will need the help of American churches to provide organizational and leadership training so that Cubans can train pastors and provide their people with humanitarian aid and Christian education, he said.

The Cuban Constitution guarantees the freedom of religion, but "unregistered religious groups experience … varying degrees of official interference, harassment, and repression," according to a report released by the United States government in 2004.

Larry Rankin, the director of Mission and Outreach for the Florida United Methodist Conference, said that churches receive different treatment from the Cuban government depending on the strength of their relationship with the government.

"I know two or three cases of people who had near-death experiences because they were too vocal about things or resisting too much," Rankin said.

Babun said that the Protestant community in Cuba is deeply divided because only some denominations are part of the government-affiliated Council of Churches. Recent laws have curtailed the growth of the church and raised suspicions toward the government.

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August (Web-only) 2006, Vol. 50