As cities across the U.S. continue to deal with demonstrations stemming from the Memorial Day death of George Floyd, the Presbyterian Reformed Church in Cuba (IPRC) has weighed in on the matter. In a letter to the Reverend Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), church Moderator, the Reverend Dora Arce-Valentín, and General Secretary, the Reverend Edelberto Valdés Fleites, thanked the denomination for its continued support over the years.
HOLGUÍN, Cuba – It’s Friday night in Holguín and the streets of this city in northeastern Cuba are filled with noisy revelers – just like bustling metropolises everywhere. Music is in the air, motorcyclists roar up and down the street, people laugh and talk.
But in the front room of a small house, about 40 Presbyterians, several with small children sitting on their laps, are at worship. The Presbyterian Mission at Holguín of the Presbyterian Reformed Church in Cuba (IPRC) regularly worships on Sunday mornings, but the Rev. Edelberto Valdes, IPRC general secretary, and the Rev. Ary Fernandez, the denomination’s moderator, have come for a rare visit, so Friday night it is.
MANATI, Cuba – The mosquitos outnumber – by about a thousand to one – the 40 Presbyterians gathered for worship on a hot, humid Wednesday evening at the Presbyterian Mission at Manati. But the worshipers seemingly care not a whit about the cloud of annoying insects. They are overjoyed that leaders of the Presbyterian Reformed Church in Cuba (IPRC) have come for a rare visit.
It is simply inconceivable to the hardy band of Presbyterians who are the Presbyterian Mission in Camagüey that a denomination – whether it be the Presbyterian Reformed Church in Cuba (IPRC) or the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) – would close a church because it is too small.
Though they are a small group of less than 25 in a large city – Camagüey is Cuba’s third largest city, with a population of some 300,000 – the members of the Presbyterian Mission here consider their ministry vital.
You would never know from the joyful exuberance of the dancing children that they live in the midst of grinding poverty.
The Sancti Spiritus Presbyterian Church of the Presbyterian Reformed Church in Cuba (IPRC) established a mission in Toyos – one of the poorest neighborhoods in the town of Sancti Spiritus – to provide hope to the barrio’s hopeless.
We are looking for Cathy Reyes’ house,” we say to the three women walking down a dusty, deeply rutted road in this little town, 38 miles – but a three-hour drive – from Holguin, the nearest city.
“Oh, we’re going to Cathy’s for church,” the three women reply, beaming. And so they climb aboard our van for the short ride on to Cathy’s house.
Abel Perviez says he talked to God and asked for 19 more years to complete his life’s work. He started the Presbyterian mission in this tiny town dominated by a large sugar mill in January 2015 with just six worshipers. The mission is now up to 30 members and is still growing.
“I told God my dream is to get to 80 people,” he says. Perviez is 81, so 19 more years would get him to 100. “I told God not to call me before then.”