The Presbytery of West Jersey and Cuba

The start of real joy is to sense the fatherly love of God toward us. (John Calvin)

The Presbytery of West Jersey and Cuba

Sharing God's Vision

We, Presbyterians from Cuba and the U.S., representing the Synod of the I.P.R.C. and its presbyteries of Central, Matanzas and Habana, the W.M.D. of the P.C. (USA) and partner Presbyteries including Cascades, Chicago, Long Island, Manmouth, Santa Fe, South Louisiana and West Jersey, the Cuba Connection, McCormick Seminary and other interested Presbyterians, met at the Centro de Actividades Nacionales de Ia glesia Presbiteriana (CANIP), November 12 to 20, 2000, to celebrate our Partnership in mission since 1986, and look forward to the new millennium before us.

We recognize that this is God’s mission and that we join God in it through partnership. We reaffirm through Bible study and our own experience that mission in partnership has several dynamics. First, it requires movement. (see Castellanos Bible study, Acts 14 vs. 21 and 15 vs. 31) and that movement is neither linear nor chartable. Second, it is contextual. This includes the religious, social, political, economic realities of this specific time, as well as personalities. The movement in specific context leads naturally to collisions (Acts Bible study). Third, mission in partnership is transformative, It opens doors where transformation is possible. Transformation occurs when there is true mutuality.

Paul’s letter to the Philippians (Rickabaugh’s sermon on partnership and Philippians) reminds us that partnership in the gospel means five things... 1) our sharing in God’s grace, 2) our sharing in the spirit, 3) our sharing in the sufferings of Christ, 4) our sharing in the troubles of others, and 5) our sharing with others by both giving and receiving.

In the letter to the Ephesians, we affirm that Christ has broken down the dividing well of separation (2 vs. 14). But, we confess that at times we have been busy rebuilding barriers.

This celebration gave opportunity to share the experiences of our journey. Each partner shared stories and gave testimony to what we have done and learned together. We identified six themes that represent a challenge as well as a vision for the immediate future.

1) We recognize that a spirituality of partnership, and our partnerships are strengthened when they are grounded in Bible Study, intercessory prayer, theological reflection and include the sharing of personal experiences.

2) We recognize that the new form of cooperation such as the one we are experiencing requires new lines of communication and coordination which include all partners involved.

3) We recognize the need to establish basic principles of financial accountability and planning that depend on the oversight and wisdom of the structures of the respective churches.

4) We recognize that the activities of the partnerships call for the establishing of priorities, for strategic planning and for creating a schedule of all partnership activities.

5) We recognize that we face the challenge of making our partnerships truly mutual, where each partner experiences a full sense of giving and receiving. Because this relationship is circular, we cannot break this circle, otherwise we will not experience God’s intended transformation, and the walls that divide will not come down. The mutual nature of the relationship recognizes specific current realities in our churches, which include the economic situation in Cuba with specific consideration to the material needs of the Cuban churches, and the spiritual needs in the P.C. (USA) to which the I.R.P.C. can bear witness of faithfulness.

6) We recognize that a) Our mission partnership calls U.S. Presbyterian partners to the work of advocacy for the normalization of the U.S.A.! Cuban relations.
b) It calls us all to work together to prepare for ministry after that normalization.

West Jersey & Matanzas - a Growing Presbytery Partnership

We are pleased that our presbytery to presbytery partnership with the Presbyterian and Reformed Church in Cuba has progressed so well. We have sent three mission trips to Matanzas Presbytery and have hosted two of our Cuban friends. It is our hope that we will host the new Executive Secretary (stated clerk), the Rev. Francisco Marrero, this June.

There are now 5 churches in our Presbytery that have agreed to have church to church partnerships and we are working out the guidelines for those growing partnerships. These partnerships are meant to develop cultural understanding and support for each churches mission and ministry. The churches can host visitors the other country, share programs and resources and most importantly pray for the work of each church.

This is a difficult time for the Cuban people. Recent crackdowns on dissidents and the worsening economic situation has made life increasingly difficult. The United States has not yet approved the treasury license for the PCUSA (GA) and has stopped educational trips to Cuba. Exit visas are increasingly difficult to obtain for the Cubans. The Presbytery of West Jersey still has a legal license for travel and will continue to keep our support alive for our brothers and sisters in Matanzas.

And yet, with all these hardships, the Presbyterian Church in Cuba is growing and new pastors are graduating from their seminary and beginning work in the churches. Over Holy Week the Moderator of the General Assembly, the Rev. Fahed Abu-Akel traveled to Cuba and found growing faith and growing churches:

‘Marta Elvis Collazo, the moderator of Matanzas Presbytery, and the Rev. Francisco (Pancho) Marrero, the presbytery executive, were co-hosts of the delegation's Holy Saturday visit to the Dora Valentin Memorial Presbyterian Reformed Church, in the coastal resort town of Varadero, and worship at Central Presbyterian Church in Matanzas.
Preaching on Holy Saturday, Abu Akel spoke about the tradition in Jerusalem on the day known there as the "Saturday of Lights." At midnight, he said, believers gather and the bishop lights a candle by the tomb of Jesus, then lights a candle of another believer, and each lights the next one, and so on. In less than five minutes, thousands of candles are lifted up, symbolizing Jesus Christ, the light of the world, and Christians' commitment to carry that Light to the world. The service concluded with the resounding hymn, El vive, El vive ("He lives, He lives"). “I could feel the power of the Holy Spirit moving in these Cuban children, youth, women and men confessing, praising, and singing the power of the resurrection of Jesus," the moderator said.

That power has brought prodigious growth in the Cuban Presbyterian church in recent years. The IPRC now has more than 6,000 members in 40 congregations and house churches, served by 20 pastors and 11 candidates for the ministry.
As with most of the Presbyterian congregations in Cuba, the membership of the Dora Valentin Presbyterian Church has increased exponentially. When pastor emeritus Sergio Arce began his ministry in Varadero in the 1970s, just one person attended worship regularly. Today there are more than 150 active members.
Please keep these churches in your prayers from Matanzas::

El Cristo, Matanzas City Rev Carlos Camps
Ruth Camps, Presbytery treasurer, is from El Cristo
El Redentor, Versallas, Matanzas City, Rev. Carlos Piedra
Principe De Paz, La Playa, Matanzas Rev. Daniel Montoya
El Buen Pastor, Union De Reyes, Rev. Marielys Diaz
La Resurreccion, Juan G. Gomez Rev. Carlos Piedra
Dora Valentin, Varadero Rev. Joel Dopico
Rev. Dopico is the vice moderator of the Presbytery
Juan G. Hall, Cardenas Rev. Alexandri Sosa
Elder Marta Collazo, Presbytery moderator is from Cardenas
Ricardo Jorge, Perico Rev. Francisco Marrero
Rev. Marrero is the Stated Clerk of the Presbytery
Jerusalen, Jaguey Grande Rev. Francisco Marrero
Mission outreaches:
Contact Pastor
Cidra, Seminarian Yampier Sanchez Rev. Camps
Coliseo Seminarian Lisset Martinez Rev. Piedra
El Cerro Dr. Robert Cemillan Rev. Sosa
El Fuerte Rev. Sosa
Manguito Seminarian Armando Guedes Rev. Sosa

WJ Cuba Task force:
Cricket Cohen, chair, Dhyan Cassie, Derrick McQueen, Erasmo Nieves, Kathy Stoner- Lasala and Kate Killebrew, staff.