The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Cuba is a vibrant community, whose members have a “readiness, a willingness, to share their faith,” said Pastor Jan Paulsen, president of the Seventh-day Adventist world church, during a visit to the country last month.

“I have been encouraged visiting Adventist churches here, by seeing that they are Christian communities that are alive,” said Paulsen, adding that a “new day” has dawned in Cuba.

During the five-day itinerary, Paulsen met with Adventist church leaders and members, and spoke at church events across the country. He also met with government officials in Havana, including Caridad Diego, minister of religious affairs. During their meeting, Paulsen mentioned his earlier visit to the Adventist seminary in Cuba, built by Maranatha Volunteers International. He commented on the small selection of books in the library, many of which are outdated, due to the restrictions on bringing books into the country.

“I told Diego that I find it incomprehensible that ministers can be trained in a modern society without the proper literature,” said Paulsen later. “The library has the square footage and space, but not enough books. This is one of the challenges facing the seminary.”

Diego responded positively, granting the Adventist Church an opportunity to import additional books for the seminary in Cuba.

Throughout his visit, Paulsen addressed crowds of church members at events including a baptism in Escalera de Jaruco and the dedication of an Adventist Church at Cacocum. He said he was “deeply appreciative for the opportunity to witness the growth of the church in Cuba.”

The Adventist Church in Cuba currently has some 30,000 members and continues to experience strong growth. Maranatha, along with other Adventist organizations, has played a key role in supporting this growth through its evangelism programs and an extensive church building and refurbishment project.