The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Cuba is mourning the sudden death of Luis Amador Morales, a respected pastor, educator, seminary administrator, and advocate for Adventist media whose ministry helped train pastors and advance the church’s vision for radio in Cuba.

Morales died on August 4 in Michigan, United States, where he had been serving at Andrews University since 2024. He was 51.

According to his family, Morales suffered a stroke and went into cardiac arrest on Sabbath, August 1, as he was getting into his car to return home with his family after worship. Doctors later determined that he had experienced a total loss of brain function. He died three days later.

Dozens of church members gathered on August 7 at the Central Seventh-day Adventist Church in Santa Clara, Cuba, his hometown, for a service of gratitude celebrating his life. His parents, Nancy Morales and Luis Amador Ferreiro, and his younger brother, Liusbel Amador, were among those present.

“Our hearts are deeply moved,” said Pastor Aldo Joel Pérez, president of the Cuban Union Conference. “This is one of those sorrowful moments when we cannot find words in our limited human language to bring comfort to this dear family.”

Pérez described Morales as one of the most brilliant leaders to serve the Cuban Union Conference—a gentleman, trusted friend, devoted pastor, and selfless worker wholly committed to the cause of God.

A life marked by discipline and faith

Morales was born March 17, 1975, in Santa Clara, the oldest of two sons. He was baptized on June 24, 1995, at age 20 while attending university.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in pharmaceutical sciences from the Central University of Las Villas in 1998 and worked as a clinical trials coordinator at the Higher Institute of Medical Sciences of Villa Clara until 2002. That year, he entered the Adventist Theological Seminary of Cuba (SETAC) to study theology.

“From the beginning, his dedication and commitment to the Lord were evident,” said Pastor Luis Ernesto Rodríguez, executive secretary of the Cuban Union Conference, who studied and shared a room with Morales for four years.

Rodríguez remembered Morales as one of the first to rise and last to go to bed after long days of work and study. Despite the pressure, he said, Morales treated others respectfully and could discuss disagreements without mistreating anyone.

While studying at SETAC, Morales met Yanet Carballo, a theology student from Las Tunas. They married June 8, 2006, and later welcomed their daughter, Dafne, and son, Ezer.

Pastor, teacher, and mentor

Before joining the SETAC faculty in 2011, Morales pastored congregations in Camagüey, Sancti Spíritus, and Villa Clara. He later served as the seminary’s academic vice president and directed Spirit of Prophecy Ministries for the Cuban Union Conference. He earned a master’s degree in 2017 and a Doctor of Ministry degree in 2023.

“He dreamed of a generation of biblical preachers,” said Pastor Leodán Carballo, SETAC’s academic vice president.

Carballo recalled Morales encouraging teachers to use their knowledge of Greek and exegesis to draw meaning from Scripture, then present it so clearly that every church member could understand and apply it.

“Pastor Amador was a pillar in my academic and professional life,” said César Santiesteban, a SETAC professor.

Santiesteban said Morales welcomed him to the seminary, taught him in several courses, invited him to join the faculty, and later shared an office with him for five years. “His influence deeply marked my personal and spiritual development,” he said.

A voice for Adventist media

Morales’s influence extended beyond the classroom. He recorded numerous sermons and promotional announcements at Estudio Arcoíris, now HopeMedia Cuba, where his baritone voice became familiar to listeners of Adventist programming.

Colleagues said he was among the first to believe that Adventist radio could be developed in Cuba. When he met studio employees in the hallway, he would call out, “Adventist World Radio!” in an enthusiastic announcer’s voice, encouraging them to believe that Cuban productions could one day join a global programming schedule. That vision eventually became a reality.

“His compelling announcer’s voice added the finishing touch to many recordings,” recalled Ireidys Pita, communication director of the Cuban Union Conference and a former studio announcer. “His pronunciation was flawless, and he had an unmistakable natural gift for conveying emotion through tone.”

Pita said Morales also invited communication professionals to teach announcing and early concepts of what is now called digital evangelism to students in his homiletics courses. She remembered him as humble and willing to serve, with a gracious Christian manner and a sense of humor that left people in better spirits.

In 2024, the Cuban Union Conference honored Morales and his family before they moved to the United States. Union leaders said he had been selected through an international process to serve at Andrews University as a Doctor of Ministry project coach and adjunct professor of practical theology.

Pastor Romelio Sepúlveda, SETAC’s financial vice president, recalled the care with which Morales handled the transition. After the call to Andrews University was confirmed, Morales visited Sepúlveda at home and privately explained the process because he did not want his colleague to feel excluded from his plans.

Remembered for excellence and kindness

In the days following his death, church leaders, former students, colleagues, and friends across Cuba shared tributes describing Morales as disciplined, approachable, visionary, and deeply committed to his family and faith.

“Amador was a disciplined colleague, a tireless worker, full of dreams and projects, and always pursuing excellence,” said Aniliuska Baños, SETAC’s student affairs vice president. “He was a servant with a deep reverence for God and inspired his students to remain faithful to their calling.”

Dayamí Rodríguez, children’s ministries director for the Cuban Union Conference, remembered him as a pastor on whom people could always depend, a refined speaker, and an “announcer at heart.” Other colleagues recalled his humor, generosity, the care he invested in friendships, and his ability to combine academic excellence with personal warmth.

Morales is survived by his wife, Yanet Carballo de Amador; their daughter, Dafne; their son, Ezer; his parents; and his brother.

“Thank God for Luisito, because he loved us, served us, served God faithfully, and left a mark that will remain with us until the day we meet again in the presence of our Savior,” Amador said. “Today we are not saying goodbye forever. We only say, ‘until the morning when Jesus returns and death is defeated forever.’”

The original article was published on the Inter-American Division news site.