Cuba’s churches persevere through hardship

Despite limited access to theological education and resources, Cuban pastors remain committed to studying and sharing Scripture, said Cuban Baptist pastor, theologian, and scholar Arcadis Solano. 

Solano holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy, Scripture, and Witness, specializing in New Testament studies. He spent approximately 25 years in pastoral ministry in Cuba before moving to the United States, where he now works in hospice chaplaincy and theological education.  

“One of the most remarkable characteristics of Cuban Baptist pastors is their extraordinary desire for theological education. Many Cuban pastors do not have access to the extensive theological libraries, electronic databases, digital resources, or academic opportunities that are readily available to pastors in the United States and Canada. Nevertheless, they continue studying Scripture with extraordinary dedication,” Solano said. 

Today, Cuba is facing an unprecedented economic and humanitarian collapse driven by a U.S. oil blockade, authoritarian political repression, tightened sanctions, and compounding energy and natural disasters.

“Many communities struggle with prolonged electrical outages, shortages of food and medicine, transportation difficulties, and the deterioration of basic services. Yet, churches continue finding creative ways to serve,” Solano said. 

“When electricity is unavailable, congregations adjust worship schedules. When resources are scarce, members share what they have. When donations arrive, churches may distribute food and other essential supplies among families in need.”

Ongoing ministry

The ongoing ministry, Solano said, is not limited to Christians. The Cuban church is serving the broader community by providing nurses, physicians, and other professionals to participate in community service initiatives, sometimes alongside volunteers who are not church members. 

“The church serves the broader community, because Christian compassion should not depend on whether the recipient belongs to a particular denomination or even shares our faith. The gospel is proclaimed through preaching, but it is also demonstrated through practical love,” he said.

Solano maintains relationships with leaders and pastors in Cuba, including those affiliated with the Eastern Baptist Convention of Cuba, where he served during his years in ministry. Those connections allow him to remain engaged with the challenges facing Cuban congregations and the efforts to continue evangelism and church planting.

Yanior Garcia, a Havana-based student in the Hispanic Theological Education Program at East Texas Baptist University’s B.H. Carroll Theological Seminary, also maintains ties to the Eastern Cuba Baptist Convention. He said evangelism and church planting remain central to the convention’s ministry.

“I am still affiliated [with] the Eastern Cuba Baptist Convention, which is characterized by a deep [evangelistic] zeal. As part of our ministry as a church and as a convention, we are deeply focused on church planting. … We seize the opportunity to preach the gospel and [invite] people to church services.”

Garcia said the convention organizes annual evangelistic campaigns involving door-to-door outreach and operates missionary institutes to train men and women for local missions. He also described community meals as an effective way to reach vulnerable families while sharing the gospel.

“At present, the most effective strategy we are using are [community] foods in which we cook for vulnerable families, and we have a time of testifying every time they attend church looking for [a meal].”

Missionary work remains central to the convention’s identity, extending across its local churches and seminaries, Garcia added. 

Hope within collapse 

Economic collapse has generated many challenges for Cuban churches, with pastors facing many of the same challenges as the families they serve.

“[Pastors] must find food, medicine, transportation, and basic necessities while simultaneously carrying the responsibility of caring for their congregations,” Solano said.

Many experienced pastors have had to leave Cuba due to experiencing persecution, economic hardship, family circumstances, or other challenges. However, Solano sees hope in a new generation of Cuban pastors. 

While reading El Mensajero, the official publication of the Eastern Baptist Convention of Cuba, Solano recognized pastors who are now serving in positions of leadership within churches, districts, and the convention itself.

“Many of those leaders were once seminarians or students whom I had the privilege of teaching during my years in Cuba. Seeing them now carrying significant responsibilities was profoundly moving. … For me, this is one of the most beautiful testimonies of God’s faithfulness,” he said. 

“The church continues because its future does not depend exclusively on one pastor or one generation. As Scripture reminds us, God preserves a faithful remnant.”

The role of American churches

 American churches and Christian organizations have provided valuable assistance to Cuban ministries for years. However, support also can raise difficult questions about the nature of international Christian partnerships.

“There are organizations and individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary generosity, genuine Christian compassion, and sincere commitment to helping Cuban believers. However, I also believe we must address an uncomfortable reality. International Christian assistance can sometimes become entangled with institutional interests, paternalism, or the desire for public recognition,” Solano said.

“In my experience, there have been situations in which outside organizations appeared more interested in controlling Cuban ministries, collecting reports, or obtaining compelling testimonies for their own promotional purposes than in developing genuinely equal Christian partnerships.”

Solano acknowledged the genuine commitment of many Christian organizations but said the concerns underscore the importance of examining the motivations behind international assistance.

“I believe Christian integrity requires us to examine our motivations. The Cuban church does not need foreign organizations to govern it. It needs Christian brothers and sisters who understand its circumstances, respect its leadership, and are willing to walk alongside it.”

Valuable assistance

Solano identified access to theological resources and financial assistance as two pressing needs for Cuban pastors and their families.

“Pastors need access to theological literature, computers, and electronic devices. Because internet access in Cuba can be unreliable, expensive, or severely limited, digital theological libraries that can function offline would be extraordinarily useful. Printed books and biblical resources remain important,” he said.

Temporary financial assistance can help pastors meet their families’ basic needs, but Solano cautioned against creating long-term financial dependency.

“Additionally, I believe temporary financial assistance for pastors and their families is urgently needed. I recognize that indefinite financial dependency is neither realistic nor necessarily healthy for local churches. However, extraordinary circumstances sometimes require extraordinary expressions of solidarity. 

“Helping a pastor provide food for his family or obtain essential resources can make a meaningful difference in his ability to continue serving his congregation.”

Beyond material support, Solano asserted, Baptists in the United States can learn from the spiritual resilience of Cuban Christians, whose commitment to prayer and Scripture endures amid profound hardship. For many believers, he said, dependence on God is not merely a theological principle but a daily practice, demonstrating the church’s strength cannot be measured by material resources alone.

Solano urged American Christians to separate political disagreements from their responsibility to help the Cuban people, emphasizing humanitarian assistance does not necessarily imply support for the Cuban government. Christian partnerships should be grounded in mutual respect and solidarity rather than control or the pursuit of recognition, he said.

“The Cuban church is not merely a missionary project. It is a living community of brothers and sisters in Christ who are faithfully serving God under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. We must pray for a church that is struggling to survive, yet continues to proclaim the gospel. We must stand alongside Cuban pastors and congregations, not above them.”