By David Miller, Regional Coordinator, Latin America

The Church of God in Cuba has taken an innovative approach to preparing pastoral workers—by necessity. Scarce resources and inadequate transportation make it virtually impossible for men and women training for the ministry to attend classes in a central location. So Ms. Regla Pedroso, rector of the School of Biblical Theology of the Church of God, has become an itinerant professor. Every three months, the former chemistry teacher makes a tour of the island to lecture, collect homework, and give exams.

Her students say she is tough but fair. Regla says she is interested in more than just academic exercises. “We have stopped to reflect on certain things,” she wrote recently. “Being prepared for the ministry does not simply mean having intellectual knowledge. It implies a personal and affectionate relationship with God that manifests itself in a lifestyle conformed to his will.”

This year, Pedroso enlisted an assistant rector, an academic secretary, and provincial coordinators for each of the locations where the School of Biblical Theology operates. Course offerings geared to pastoral workers’ distinctive calling and interests include basic theology, ministerial studies, evangelism, and Christian education. “We are also looking for ways to assist our students to continue their personal growth beyond graduation,” Pedroso says.

The accompanying photo was taken at a recent commencement ceremony for five graduates of the ministerial studies program. Cuba’s next National Women’s Convention will feature graduation exercises for two pastoral workers from Santiago de Cuba and five from Matanzas, Pedroso reports.

The Cuban church needs many pastors, evangelists, and Sunday school teachers to shepherd the eighty-nine congregations and house churches on the island. Global Missions supports the efforts of Regla Pedroso and her fellow educators through Project Link #42.30145 Leadership Development in Cuba. Funding goes to support provincial training centers, to purchase textbooks and educational materials, and to cover travel costs for Pedroso and her volunteer staff. Pedroso, who has served for the past year as treasurer of the National Assembly of the Church of God in Cuba, points out that Project Link donations supplement the precious offerings of the Cuban believers. “As you can see from my reports, we are working with a lot of effort and little economic resources. Some of the brothers who have been blessed personally have then contributed their valuable offerings so that we can continue the work.”