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So that we don't forget,
Iglesia Presbiteriana Reformada Presbiterianas y Reformadas de América Latina
Additional Resources about Cuba Partnership Ministries
New York Avenue Presbyterian Church: What is a Presbyterian Church Partnership?
Offering opportunity: The Ofelia Ortega Endowment Fund at the Presbyterian Foundation to support the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Matanzas Cuba — the only accredited seminary for Presbyterians in Cuba. This endowment fund is named after the first Presbyterian woman to be ordained in Cuba, Professor Ofelia Ortega, who recently retired after serving as the seminary's rector for more than 20 years.
Evangelical Theological Seminary in Matanzas, Cuba Seminario Evangelico de Teologia (SET), the only accredited one in Cuba for Presbyterians. It also trains ministers for the Methodist and Episcopal Churches. |
First Presbyterian Church
partnership with
Cuba's
Sancti Spiritus Church
Since the spring of 2000, First Presbyterian Church has developed a sister relationship
with Sancti Spiritus Presbyterian Church in Sancti Spiritus (El Centro Presbytery)
in Cuba's Central Province — a relationship
that has helped us share political and cultural realities as well
as our ministries. Our church has been particularly interested in
the farming ministry and the lively mission churches.
During the past three years, First Church has sent more than twenty
adults and teens to work with Cuban churches on partnership-in-mission
trips, visiting vegetable farms and cattle farm projects
and meeting with numerous church congregations.
Members' visits to Cuba have deepened our understanding of the faith journeys
of our brothers and sisters there. We have recorded interviews with
national leaders in the Cuban Presbyterian Church as well as with women
church leaders about their ministries to provide hot meals, laundry
services, and clothing repair to the indigent elderly. Through our
sharing, participants continue to affirm our partnership goals, which
are to share worship and Bible study, to show
support to the Presbyterian Church in Cuba and in Sancti Spiritus,
and to further understanding between our two congregations.
We have begun a cultural and spiritual interchange by sharing newsletters and
a scripture study via email as well as by sending useful educational
materials and medicine. Some of our youth visited Cuba with the Task
Force in 2005 and returned with a deeper awareness of life for our
neighbors. We celebrate our partnership with the world church and our
spiritual journey with Presbyterian Cubans by designating one Sunday
a year as Sancti Spiritus Sunday.
PC(USA) mission coworker
Rev.
Tricia Lloyd-Sidle
has been appointed by the General Assembly
Council to serve in the United States and in Cuba as a
mission co-worker. She is the Regional Liaison for the Caribbean, with a
special focus on Cuba and the Caribbean-North American Council for Mission.
She has been to Cuba many, many times.
United States interest Section: Cuba
Recollections
and images of Cuba
During my visit to Cuba
an elderly Cuban man came up to me after the church
service — and with tears in his eyes he thanked me for coming to
his country. —Ed Cunningham
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First Presbyterian Church of Springfield, Illinois .
321 South 7th Street . Springfield, IL 62701 .
tele: 217.528.4311 . fax: 217.528.0768
some photos by Barb Olson | some images© 2006 JupiterImages
Corporation
Updated June 6, 2008