The Fraternity of Baptists in Cuba

The Fraternity of Baptists in Cuba began in 1989 after three of its churches were expelled from a convention of more conservative Baptists. The three churches were cited for ordaining women, holding open communion, and for devoting too much attention to a social gospel rather than one that focused on personal evangelization. In addition, Francisco Rodes, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Matanzas, Cuba, had a birthday party at church for his 15-year-old daughter, Lisset, at which church members were dancing. The local Baptist convention gave the congregation an ultimatum: Get rid of the pastor or leave the convention. (The church voted to leave the convention.)

The Fraternity of Baptists in Cuba soon became a partner with the Alliance of Baptists in the United States, consisting of churches no longer comfortable with the increasingly conservative—some say, Fundamentalist—direction of the Southern Baptist Convention to which they had previously belonged. The Fraternity of Baptists has approximately 35 churches and 80 missions throughout the island, and enjoys good relationships with a variety of different faith groups, even with some of the churches who once voted their churches out of the convention.

Of the connection between the Fraternity of Baptists in Cuba and the Alliance of Baptists in the US, Stan Hastey, the Alliance's Executive Director says, "Given the startling similarities in our origins and historical-theological perspectives, it is little wonder that the Fraternidad and the Alliance came to see themselves as spiritual twins or that this kinship would result in a joint project of fostering sister-church relationships. Indeed the tie between these two bodies of Baptists has become a model of what productive 21st century mission partnerships will be like. You are invited to discover more about the partnerships among churches affiliated with the Fraternity of Baptists in Cuba and the Alliance of Baptists.

Top: Two married Baptist seminary students (the husband, a former fisherman) after a drama performed during the annual meeting of the Fraternity of Baptists in Cuba. Students of all ages are attending seminaries and plan to pastor neighborhood churches upon graduation.