Cuba Archives - Stories

Pastor Under House Arrest on False Pretenses

vomtechsupport — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 07:07:08 +0000

Pastor Dizzis Ramos’ public ministry has made him a target of government officials in his atheistic Communist country. He serves his local community through construction projects for elderly people in need. Earlier this month, he and another pastor were charged for allegedly falsifying receipts after they legally purchased cement for a construction project. Pastor Ramos was placed under house arrest and the other pastor taken into custody. They are also unable to reach the lawyer who has been handling their case. “Everything indicates that this is a trap to stop the work of Pastor Dizzis Ramos, who has made a great positive impact in the community where he pastors,” a front-line worker said. “This would be another of those unfortunate events that seek to limit the influence of the Cuban church in society.”

Click here to find out about Christian persecution in Cuba and learn how to pray.

Post a prayer for Pastor Ramos on iCommitToPray.com

CUBA: Pastors Willing to Pay a Price

vomtechsupport — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 17:09:04 +0000

Fidel Castro, leader of Cuba’s communist revolution, died in 2016. But has Castro’s death changed the level of Christian persecution in Cuba? “No difference at all,” Pastor Mateo, a church leader in Cuba, says emphatically.

The Cuban government attempts to restrain the gospel in many ways. Yet despite persecution, the church in Cuba is growing—stretching beyond buildings and homes and gathering on the streets and in open fields to pray and worship and share the gospel. Listen as Pastor Mateo shares the many restrictions Cuba’s communist leaders enforce on pastors, church buildings, ministry efforts and families. Even pastors’ children become targets for persecution because of their parents’ ministry.

But government efforts to curtail church growth are failing as the church continues to multiply. Large events in Cuba are bringing together thousands of believers for prayer and fellowship. Mateo reminds us, “In Matthew 16, Jesus says, ‘the gates of hell will not prevail against the church.’” Cuban Christians are experiencing the reality of Jesus’ promise.

“You will never be able to stop the movements of the church.” Mateo says. Today, he encourages young pastors to remain faithful and never renounce Jesus, even as they encounter government threats.

Listen also for ways you can pray specifically for Mateo and persecuted Christians in Cuba to remain strong in the Lord as they face hostility and persecution.

VOM Radio host Todd Nettleton will also give a recap of the recent I Am N Virtual Event. If you missed the event, it is now available for viewing on demand.

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Wisdom Needed in Online Communications

vomtechsupport — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 08:07:07 +0000

The atheistic Communist government in Cuba has enacted a new law intended to control the online spread of misinformation, especially that which is related to the country’s reputation, national security, revolution, government leaders and ideology. Christians in Cuba have reported concerns about the law’s enforcement as the government has defined “misinformation” broadly and indicated that it will prosecute violators with heavy scrutiny. Some have reported instances of government prosecution simply for sharing Bible verses in social media posts, which the government then interpreted as a threat to the regime. After a recent meeting with Cuban front-line workers, VOM President Cole Richards urged, “Let’s pray that Christians in Cuba will be both wise and bold — and may we do likewise! Like them, we can be careful while sharing online, especially on social media, while not shrinking back in fear of retaliation against the message of our hope in Christ.”

Click here to find out about Christian persecution in Cuba and learn how to pray.

Post a prayer for Cuban Christians on iCommitToPray.com

Churches Share Hand-Copied Bibles

vomtechsupport — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 07:07:08 +0000

In Cuba, Bibles are precious and sometimes scarce. Even when Bibles are available, they can cost a third of a worker’s monthly income. But Christians in Cuba are hungry for God’s Word and are finding creative solutions to the limited access. In some communities, hand-copied chapters of the Bible are shared among the members of one church. Pray for the success of efforts aimed at getting a Bible into the hands of every follower of Christ in Cuba.

Click here to find out about Christian persecution in Cuba and learn how to pray.

Post a prayer for Bibles for Cuba on iCommitToPray.com

Congregation Remains Faithful Despite Oppression

vomtechsupport — Thu, 14 Jul 2022 07:07:03 +0000

Pastor David Walter Fis leads a Baptist church in Cuba that has experienced ongoing harassment from government authorities. First, state security officials demolished their church building. When the congregation continued gathering, officials placed restraining orders on Pastor Fis and the congregation. Despite the government’s attempts to silence their witness, the church has continued to grow, meeting in the homes of church members or in fields, and members recently celebrated the baptism of new believers. Praise God for this congregation’s commitment to follow Christ amid Communist oppression. Pray that their faithful witness will continue to lead others into closer fellowship with Christ.

Click here to find out about Christian persecution in Cuba and learn how to pray.

Post a prayer for Pastor Fis and congregation on iCommitToPray.com

Christian Reporter Under House Arrest

vomtechsupport — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 07:07:03 +0000

Robert is a Christian and independent news reporter who has spoken out against the Communist government’s treatment of Christians in Cuba. Because of his bold witness, government officials beat him and imprisoned him for a year. They also confiscated his phone, computer and other possessions related to his livelihood. Robert has been released from jail but is currently under house arrest and expects further hostile treatment from the government. Pray that Robert’s witness for Christ will draw others into closer fellowship with Him, and pray his tools are returned to him.

Click here to find out about Christian persecution in Cuba and learn how to pray.

Post a prayer for Robert on iCommitToPray.com

Authorities Raid Pastor’s Home

vomtechsupport — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 08:07:02 +0000

Cuban authorities are pressuring a prominent pastor to silence his Christian witness. The pastor and his church have made firm statements supporting biblical principles in opposition to the Cuban government’s policies. Because of these statements, and the church’s proximity to many government offices and important landmarks, the Cuban authorities commenced a search of the pastor’s property to pressure him into cooperation. Pray for this pastor to remain firm in his obedience to Christ amid oppression by Communist authorities. Pray also that his obedience serves as a testimony to those who do not know Christ.

Click here to find out about Christian persecution in Cuba and learn how to pray.

Post a prayer for pastor under pressure on iCommitToPray.com

Government Prohibits Church from Meeting

vomtechsupport — Thu, 28 Oct 2021 07:07:03 +0000

A house church of 1,000 members has been banned from gathering for services by the Cuban government. In recent weeks, the government announced that churches in Cuba could begin meeting again in person on Sunday, Oct. 10. On Oct. 8, however, Amparo Gallo’s house church in Santa Clara received word from the government that it would not be allowed to meet for in-person services. Pray for God’s wisdom for these brothers and sisters as they determine how to honor God amid the Cuban government’s restrictions, and pray that the government will lift the restrictions.

Click here to find out about Christian persecution in Cuba and learn how to pray.

Post a prayer for Amparo Gallo and congregation on iCommitToPray.com

More than 100 New Believers Baptized

vomtechsupport — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 07:07:02 +0000

Front-line workers in Cuba recently celebrated the baptism of more than 100 believers as part of how God’s kingdom continues to advance amid adversity and opposition. “In the middle of threats, the pandemic and deaths from the coronavirus, the church in Cuba continues,” a front-line worker said. Praise God for the faithfulness of our Cuban brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray that these new believers continue growing in their faith, and pray that they will continue to advance the gospel no matter the risk.

Click here to find out about Christian persecution in Cuba and learn how to pray.

Post a prayer for New Believers in Cuba on iCommitToPray.com

Cuban Christians Launch Evangelism Campaign in Havana

Megan — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 08:15:55 +0000

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.