General Superintendent of The Wesleyan Church, Dr. Jo Anne Lyon, visited Cuba, December 6-11, 2014. She was accompanied by her husband, Rev. Wayne Lyon, Global Partners missionaries Rick and Clara West, and four other team members.
Upon arrival, Dr. Lyon made a presentation of 10 bicycles to pastors in the Central and East Districts of Cuba. The pastors received the bikes with gratitude. For some, it was the first bike they have owned. Brown’s Chapel Wesleyan Church in Greenfield, Ind., provided the funds for the bikes via Global Partners.
“I was stunned with the growth in Cuba,” said Dr. Lyon. “We are now up to 40 congregations and over 4,000 members. There are many impressive young dedicated leaders and stories of radical conversions. There are reports of miraculous physical healings.”
On Sunday, December 7, Dr. Lyon ordained three pastors to ministry. The Cuban press, radio, and T.V. were present and recorded parts of the service and interviewed Dr. Lyon. The next day Dr. Lyon met with the national board and later challenged the 23 pastors present to continue forward offering hope and holiness to Cuba and beyond.
Tuesday, December 9, witnessed a celebration of the 60 years of ministry for the Church in Cuba. The Church was founded by laymen with a focus on hope and holiness. In January 2010, the Church in Cuba voted unanimously to join The Wesleyan Church. Missionary Clara West distributed a 2015 scriptural calendar in Spanish to each of the 23 pastors for which the pastors expressed deep gratitude.
“A high government official in Cuba has said, ‘I am not a Christian, but The Wesleyan Church does what I think a church should do and be,'” said Dr. Lyon. “This is a good witness!”
Unfortunately, on Saturday evening, team member Rev. Katherine Pace fell and broke her hip. She was hospitalized in the city of Santa Clara in the international section. She received excellent care until she and her husband Jerry were evacuated by an air ambulance on Tuesday to a hospital near Charlotte, N.C. Please pray for Pastor Katherine’s recovery.
