Cuba visit brings changes to covenant
A UMNS Report
By Jenna DeMarco*
March 12, 2009
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United
Methodist Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker of Florida preaches at the
Methodist Church of Marianao in late February during his three-day
visit to
Cuba. UMNS Web-only photos courtesy
of The Methodist Church in Cuba.
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The United Methodist Florida Conference’s longstanding relationship
with the Methodist Church in Cuba will continue, but there will be some
changes.
That was the message from meetings in Cuba in late February between
Florida Bishop Timothy Whitaker, Cuban Methodist Bishop Ricardo Pereira
and officials from the Cuban religious affairs office.
“The (Cuban) government has made it clear that it would like the
relationship of the Methodist Church in Cuba and The United Methodist
Church of the Florida Conference to continue,” Whitaker said after
returning from a three-day trip to island nation. “They understand the
historic nature of this relationship and they favor international
relationships.
“At the same time, the structure of the relationship is definitely
going to change,” he added. “From the government’s point of view, the
time of the covenant between the two churches is completed. … There is
now a new beginning in the relationship between the two churches, but
that relationship will be different.”
In an e-mail message to the Florida Conference, Pereira echoed Whitaker’s assessment of the meetings.
“The visit of Bishop Whitaker has been very fruitful,” he said. “We had
the opportunity to see that during 125 years of Methodism history in
Cuba, we have been able to keep the relationship with the church in
Florida. It’s important for Methodists in Florida to know that this
relationship will go forward. I quote an officer from the Cuban
government when I say: “(The relationship) can and should be kept and
strengthened.’ ”
Caridad Diego, head of Cuba’s Office of Religious Affairs, and two of
her associates met with the bishops. Roberto Chaple, a professor of Old
Testament at Evangelical Methodist Seminary in Havana, served as
interpreter.
Signed in 1997
The late Bishop Cornelius Henderson, who served as bishop of the
Florida Area from 1996 until his death in 2000, and the Rev. Rinaldo
Hernández Torres, on behalf of Bishop Gustavo Cruz of Cuba, signed the
Cuba/Florida Covenant in 1997. The covenant was designed as a formal
relationship between the conferences to strengthen both in their
ministries. Since its inception, many members of the two conferences
have traveled to and from the two countries, sharing ideas and
resources.
The relationship between the two churches existed long before the
signing, however. In 1873, the Florida Conference sent a missionary to
Key West to start a ministry among Cubans living there. Two Cuban lay
pastors returned to Cuba in 1883 to start congregations. From 1883 to
1968, when Cuban Methodism became independent, one bishop served both
conferences.
Specific details about the future relationship will be determined in
meetings between Pereira and the religious affairs office, Whitaker
said.
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Bishop Ricardo Pereira of The
Methodist Church in Cuba (left) and Whitaker greet worshippers.
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“We accentuated the positive because Caridad Diego really did emphasize
that they want the relationship to continue, and she articulated that
the policy of the government is to favor international relationships —
a lot of their churches have international relationships,” Whitaker
said.
One likely change, Whitaker said, will be the way Florida Conference
caravans -- church teams that travel to Cuba to work with churches
there -- will be coordinated. He anticipates fewer caravans will be
permitted and they will be organized through Pereira’s Havana office,
which will be accountable to the Cuban government. The format for the
caravans might be similar to visits made by United Methodist Volunteers
in Mission teams.
“There have still been UMVIM teams going to Cuba within the last six
months, and the way those teams function is different from the way the
caravans have been functioning,” Whitaker said. “They are in and they
are out. We expect that the visits of the caravans will be similar to
UMVIM visits.”
Whitaker also anticipates financial contributions to the Methodist
Church in Cuba will be handled primarily through Pereira’s office, with
possible accommodations made for districts or churches located a
considerable distance from Havana.
“I was very graciously received,” Whitaker said. “I felt freedom to
state my thoughts and feelings, and I had the opportunity to do that. …
They were supportive of the relationship, and we were not surprised
that they want to have changes.”
Other business
The visit included several other notable engagements.
Whitaker attended a meeting of the church’s national board at which
district superintendents and lay officers reported on events in the
life of the church and ways the covenant had made a difference in their
churches or areas. In turn, Whitaker shared some of the activities
taking place within the Florida Conference.
The bishops also discussed hurricane recovery efforts, which are
progressing, even as building materials remain in short supply. The
Florida Conference had transferred $74,563 in donations to Cuba as of
Dec. 31.
“Bishop Pereira gave me a report about how the monies from the Florida
Conference are being used and the deep appreciation they had for the
generosity from Florida,” Whitaker said.
While in Havana, Whitaker preached at Pereira’s church. He said it was a “great experience in worship for me.”
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Cuban Methodists are
baptized near Havana.
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The bishops also met with Jonathan Farrar, the chief of mission in the
United States Interests Section in Havana. He serves under the U.S.
Department of State. “We talked a lot about religious life in Cuba and
the general political situation,” Whitaker said. “He’s been very
supportive of the work of all of the churches.”
New seminary
A tour of the new Evangelical Methodist Seminary, located in the
historic section of downtown Havana, was included in the bishops’
itinerary. The Methodist Church in Cuba recently launched the seminary
in an effort to accommodate the unique schedules of pastors who are
already serving churches. The seminary building has been renovated in
keeping with specifications of the historic district.
“(It’s) a big undertaking of the Methodist Church in Cuba … and so far, it’s going well,” Whitaker said.
The Rev. Fletcher Anderson, a Florida Conference elder, represents the
conference at the seminary. He teaches Hebrew, a required foundational
course. “He’s been formally retired for a long time, and he selflessly
gives of himself,” Whitaker said.
The seminary currently has 15 professors and 70 students, which are numbers the church hopes to maintain, Pereira said.
“The new Evangelical Methodist Seminary is a need, given the growth
that our church has experienced in the last few years,” Pereira said.
“Thank God we are about to complete our first year of successful work.
We invite the Florida Conference to join us in this project through
support and exchange.”
Pereira said the Cuban church has grown at an annual rate of 10 percent for the past eight years.
“It is still a priority to extend its ministry to new places and to
keep growing with new members,” he added. “The Florida Conference can
join us in supporting and equipping new house churches, providing
salary support for missionaries and pastors, and strengthening the new
Evangelical Methodist Seminary.”
*De Marco is a freelance writer based in Nashville, Tenn. This article
was supplied by e-Review Florida United Methodist News Service.
News media contact: Linda Bloom, New York, (646) 369-3759 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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Resources
Cuba-Florida Covenant
Florida Conference
Methodist Church in Cuba |
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