Cuba Partners

The New York Avenue Presbyterian Church began its journey with the Presbyterian-Reformed Church in Cuba when, through the NYA Peace and Justice Committee, it invited the Rev. Dr. Hector Mendez, Pastor of the First Presbyterian-Reformed Church of Havana, to preach at New York Avenue in October 1998. This laid the foundation for an evolving sister-church relationship that culminated in a formal Understanding of Partnership adopted by the sessions of both churches in April and May 2005. Following Rev. Mendez's visit, Associate Pastor Alice V. Anderson led an NYAPC mission to Cuba in January 1999 hosted by the First Presbyterian Church of Havana. NYAPC Pastor Rob Craig traveled to Cuba to preach at First Havana Church on World Communion Sunday in October 1999.

On December 14, 1999 the Session of The New York Avenue Presbyterian Church adopted a five-year resolution establishing "a sister relationship with First Presbyterian Church of Havana, Cuba. The purpose of the relationship is to affirm and build on the unity of the Presbyterian Church under Jesus Christ through a mutual exchange of people, communication, spiritual understanding, Christian education and Bible study, theology, cultural understanding (art, music, theater), financial support, and political understanding."

NYAPC hosted Cuban visitors in October 1999 and May 2000, and Rev. Hector Mendez welcomed a visiting NYAPC Elder in February 2004. In June 2004, NYA hosted Alina Camps of First Presbyterian Havana who led discussions at NYA and the PC(USA) Washington Office on her experiences with the church in Cuba and her observations on partnerships. In June 2005, the Rev. Dr. Reinerio Arce, President of the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Matanzas, Cuba came to Washington, D.C. hosted jointly by NYAPC and Church of the Pilgrims to report on the seminary's activities and to raise funding for a new seminary endowment. In addition, NYAPC has held several sessions of adult Christian education classes on Cuba (the church, society, economy): two weeks in fall 1998, five weeks in spring 2004, six weeks in fall 2004, and six weeks in winter 2005. A three-week NYAPC Bible study was held in preparation for the Cuba Partners meeting in Matanzas, Cuba in October 2004. Both NYAPC and First Presbyterian Church of Havana participated in the Cuba Partners meeting of October 2004. A joint NYAPC-Church of the Pilgrims delegation traveled to Cuba and was hosted by First Presbyterian of Havana on April 28-May 9, 2005.

Links

• What is a Presbyterian Church Partnership?

• Understanding of Partnership Agreement, May 2005

• Cuba Partners Meetings

• NYAPC Missions to Cuba

• Cuban Visitors

• NYAPC Adult Christian Education Classes on Cuba

• Cuba Partners Shared Bible Studies

• First Presbyterian-Reformed Church of Havana

• Hurricane Dennis