EvangeBicy

The Methodist People around the world are responding to the call of World Methodist Evangelism to stand alongside the “People Called Methodist in Cuba” by providing bicycles for the missionary pastors who serve hundreds of new Cuban Methodist house churches. Since the summer of 2001, funds have been contributed to provide more than 500 EvangeBicys to help Cuban pastors serve hundreds of Methodist house churches.

At the World Methodist Evangelism Leadership Summit in Havana, Cuba in January 2004, the final ten of the 500 EvangeBicys were blessed by Cuban Bishop Pereira Diaz and Dr. H. Eddie Fox at a moving outdoor baptism service for more than 200 adults and young people.

To join in this vital "wholistic evangelism" ministry, click here: Giving! Enabling the World Evangelism Ministy.

Membership has doubled in the past two years

"The People Called Methodist in Cuba" are in the midst of a tremendous revival and renewal. The membership of the Methodist Church in Cuba has doubled to nearly 30,000 members in the last two years.

Click here for additional news stories and photos on the exciting revival of Methodism in Cuba.

Today, the Methodist Church in Cuba is in the midst of a revival which has been gathering momentum throughout the nineties. Cuban Bishop Pereira Diaz said, "Since 1993 we have talked much about the Holy Spirit. And we are experiencing the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ. In the 1960s it was very hard for us. Only 5 pastors out of 140 remained. Our membership went down. The 70s also were very hard years. In the 1980s, our church started to awake. We found our refuge in God. Our church began prayer and fasting. In the late 80s people starting receiving the Holy Spirit. We are open to the Holy Spirit as we seek to be faithful, authentic Methodists. We are ecumenical people and we are faithful people as Methodists. We know who we are. We seek to be the strongest evangelical and faithful church in Cuba and we pray that others will work just as hard."

More than 65% of the worshippers today are under the age 30. Most of the pastors are also young in age and in the faith.

In the past five years, the church has started 500 new missionary congregations (mostly house churches) across the nation. The Missionary Pastors who travel to these churches are in desperate need of transportation and they need bicycles to help them. World Methodist Evangelism responded to this need and began seeking funds (at $115 per bicycle) for transportation for these missionaries. Under the "wholistic evangelism" name of EvangeBicy (a bicycle in Cuba is called "bicy") World Evangelism has called on churches, Sunday School classes and individual Methodists around the world to help provide transportation for 450 Cuban Missionary Pastors!"

Bishop Ricardo Pereira Diaz of the Methodist Church in Cuba expressed his gratitude for the gift of the EvangeBicys, “We are grateful to World Methodist Evangelism and the people who have given this support. We have delivered our first EvangeBicys. One week later I came back to baptize two brothers from missions on behalf of the missionaries who received the bicycles.”

Fox said, “It is a great joy to be able to stand alongside our people in the Methodist Movement in Cuba. Our church is in the midst of a great revival. They have so much to share with the rest of the world, for they are a people who know what it means to depend on God and the power of the Holy Spirit.”

World Methodist Evangelism needs the continuing support of congregations and individuals for the ministries of “wholistic evangelism.” The ministries of EvangeSport, EvangeLit, EvangeMed and EvangeBicy reflect World Methodist Evangelism’s commitment to spread the good news of Christ Jesus through WORD, DEED AND SIGN.
For more information about supporting World Evangelism’s “wholistic evangelism,” ministries, visit Giving! Enabling the World Evangelism Ministry.

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