Cuban Christians Launch Evangelism Campaign in Havana

Cubans have borne the weight of communism for more than half a century. In the last years of Cuban leader Fidel Castro’s life, however, the country’s strict communistic and atheistic ideals appeared to be eroding.

Then, in 2014, the waning spirit of the communist revolution was suddenly revived, and pressure on Christians rose sharply. Evangelical leaders were regularly interrogated by the Religious Affairs Committee and pressured to stop their Christian work.

As the communist spirit continued to grow, Christians experienced a renewed passion to evangelize. Amid this environment, Christian leaders from various denominations jointly launched an evangelistic campaign in Havana called the “Power to Transform.” The campaign’s objective was simple: Church members would go to bars, cafes and parks and share Jesus.

When Communist officials heard about the campaign, the church leaders from all denominations were summoned for interrogation. But since the campaign had no central leader and received no foreign support, Cuban authorities had no one to arrest and no way of stopping the campaign. So Christians throughout Havana continued to share their faith with confidence.

When a church member was confronted by a man asking who had given him the authority to evangelize in a public park, the Christian replied, “I didn’t ask Raul Castro for permission to talk about Jesus, and I’m not going to ask you for it, either.”

Because of wise planning and humble leadership, the campaign reached many in Havana, and Christians now want to do the same in cities throughout Cuba. The spirit of God’s love is overcoming the spirit of the revolution.