Is there a Protestant Church in Havana’s Kohly district?

Question: I will be in Havana (Kohly District) for seven weeks from January 3, 2010. I would like to find a Protestant Church in the Kohly District, either Spanish or English speaking. I am a member of the Anglican Church in Canada, but I am very ecumenical so any Protestant church would be a blessing to me.

Answer: Cuba has 50 Protestant denominations, of which over half are members of the Consejo de Iglegias de Cuba (Cuban Council of Churches), which is a fellowship of churches, ecumenical groups, and other ecumenical organizations. The churches, some of which are over 100 years old, are deeply rooted in Cuban society.

The closest Protestant church to the Kohly District is the Iglesia Metodista de Playa (Methodist Church of Playa). Sunday worship is held from 8:30-10:15 am under Pastor Lourdes Veitia and again from 11:15 am-2pm under Bishop Ricardo Perreira. Sunday School is held from 10:30-11:15 am. Overseas guests are invited to call the church beforehand if they would like to have a seat reserved at the front of the church. Translators can also be provided upon request. To arrange either seats or translation, call the Pastoral House (203-0456), located next door to the church, and ask to speak with Jessica Cobas.

Iglesia Metodista de Playa
Calle 58, No. 4305
e/ 43 y 45
Playa
Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba
Telephone (537) 209-3064

Another Protestant church that is interesting to visit, although it is not in the Kohly District, is the Iglesia Bautista William Carey(William Carey Baptist Church, named for an 18^th century British Baptist missionary), located in the Vedado neighbourhood. Built between 1943 and 1954, the building expresses the simplicity of architectural modernism.

Iglesia Bautista William Carey
Calle J, No. 555
Esquina a 25 (Corner of 25)
Vedado-Municipio Plaza
Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba
Telephone (537) 833-3637

The Iglesia Bautista William Carey is the Cuban counterpart for Pastors for Peace, the project founded in 1988 by the U.S.-based Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO). Initially created to support Nicaragua, Pastors for Peace broadened its mandate to support El Salvador as well as protesting against the war in Iraq and sending solidarity caravans to Chiapas, Mexico. In 1992, Pastors for Peace began a creative program of action / education to directly challenge the U.S. economic blockade of Cuba. Every year, a U.S./Cuba Friendshipment Caravan travels from the United States to Cuba with humanitarian aid.

An institution that is worth visiting is the Centro Memorial Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (CMMLK or Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Centre). Founded in April 1987, this centre is dedicated to scriptural and theological reflection, promoting human and ecological improvement, training local leaders and community groups in popular education techniques and action, supporting projects for urban agriculture and community development, etc.

Centro Memorial Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (CMMLK)
Avenida 53, No. 9609
e/ 96 y 98
Marianao
Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba
Telephone (537) 262-4195 or 260-9731

www.cmlk.com

Immediately next door to the CMMLK is the Iglesia Bautista Ebenezer (Ebenezer Baptist Church), where the CMMLK was born and which holds services every Sunday. Central to the values of this church is to create an inclusive community, and promote gender equality and the acceptance and integration of all races and sexual orientation. The church also promotes the practice of participatory and decentralized pastoral models, rather than being pastor-centric. The pastor of this church, Sister Clara María Rodés González, served in this position for over 25 years. Rev. Raúl Suárez, an elected member of Cuba’s Parliament, is pastor of this church.

Iglesia Bautista Ebenezer
Avenida 53, No. 9607
e/ 96 y 98
Marianao
Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba
Telephone (537) 262-4476