U.S. Pastor Returns to See Evangelical Church Thriving in Cuba

[Judi Lynn]

U.S. Pastor Returns to See Evangelical Church Thriving in Cuba
By John Rice Associated Press Writer
Published: Nov 21, 2003




CAMP CANAAN, Cuba (AP) - Paul Northrup raised his hands and shouted "Alelujah!" A congregation of more than 1,000 Cubans echoed back.
The small church that Northrup planted in central Cuba 50 years ago has grown and thrived since he left in 1959, becoming a small part of a broad movement that Cuban evangelicals have built across their socialist nation.

"They told us when we left, the work would fail," Northrup said. "There were seven churches then. Now there are 53." (snip)

(snip) Northrup recalled seeing rebels that Batista's men had hung from streetlights. Another day, "Batista sent his planes in at night. One had a searchlight and the other planes would strafe where they thought the rebels were." (snip)

(snip) But the wall was starting to crack by 1984, when Castro attended a Protestant service with Jesse Jackson. The collapse of the Soviet Bloc later led the government to abandon official atheism and to openly, if warily, accept religious faith. (snip)

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAIXJZW9ND.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I posted this to emphasize for readers who haven't read much about Cuba, to call their attention to the kind of world most people in Cuba were experiencing under Batista. I don't think a lot of Americans have known that political dissidents were hung from light poles, or dismembered and hung in trees, or that there were death squads cruising the streets, or torture chambers.

Also thought maybe some readers would be surprised to see the Rev. Jesse Jackson actually moved quietly behind the scenes and visited with Fidel Castro years ago, and perhaps paved the way for encouraging more religious events in Cuba. (The reason more people don't remember much about the Pope's visit to Cuba is because the very moment he arrived in Havana, the story on Monica Lewinsky broke, and the major news reporters returned to the States to start covering that story, leaving the Pope's visit totally uncovered, and forgotten.)

(snip)