Newsglance: Living Water Conference

by Rev Tony Cupit

About 530 delegates from all over Cuba attended the BWA’s Living Water conference in Havana from 23rd to 26th March at Calvary Baptist Church. Another 1000 attended the one evening rally during the meetings. No more than one or two of these will be able to attend the BWA world congress in Hawaii. Living Water enables the BWA to reach Baptist people who could never otherwise attend a BWA event.

The Living Water conference in Havana was meaningful, exciting, historic, joyous, liberating, exuberant, educational ... all participants testified to its importance for their lives. We were all challenged to continue our efforts to share God’s great love in Jesus Christ and to do so “having the mind in you that was also in Christ Jesus …”

However, by far the most powerful impact this Living Water conference may have on the strengthening of the churches in Cuba, along with the emphases on leadership and evangelism, was the coming together of the four Baptist communities in Cuba, the Eastern and Western Conventions and the Freewill and Fraternidad Baptists. Only those present can understand the deep feelings this evoked, for relationships have traditionally been strained between some of the bodies and it has been a struggle to achieve reconciliation. But at this Living Water conference true Christian fellowship was experienced even to the extent of the Presidents of the four conventions washing each others’ feet towards the end of the meeting. This was celebrated as a part of a moving foot-washing ceremony where other leaders washed the feet of carefully selected delegates including an old pastor who had been through the fires of persecution in earlier days, a child, a woman soon to bear a child, a local pastor and woman delegate from the smallest Baptist group in Cuba.

This was consistent with the servant leadership emphases in the conference and a re-enactment of Jesus washing the accumulated dust off His disciples’ feet.

In 2008, at a BWA Living Water conference in Freeport, Bahamas, a Cuban leader told of his aged father, an old pastor in his 90s, continuing to walk from door to door telling people of the love of Jesus. In Havana, Cuba, at the 19^th of 20 Living Water conferences conducted by the BWA over a five-year period, I met this Christian leader, this earnest disciple of Jesus, this warrior for the faith.

Victor Gonzalez Snr. is now two years older, bowed down with age and somewhat unwell but his evangelistic fervor and love for Christ is undimmed. It is the example of people like Gonzalez that inspires us mere mortals to greater commitment and helps us renew our desire to witness to the transforming love of our Savior. The Living Water conference in Havana was memorable in so many ways. But just meeting brother Gonzalez and hearing him pray at the Living Water conference was a highlight.

When riding in a hotel elevator, invariably when another person enters you are given a warm, “hola” or “buenos diaz,” for Cubans have an innate friendliness. So it was not surprising that the Cuban Baptists welcomed each other and the 14-person BWA delegation with open arms. And it was a worthy delegation including leaders from a number of countries, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Columbia, Jamaica, Paraguay and the USA. The Cubans were delighted to have such a large and strong group and many times expressed a desire to receive even more BWA delegations.

This was a Baptist congress, a gathering of the clan, a coming together of sisters and brothers who represented the entire leadership of the 60,000 Baptist believers in Cuba. Held in the main Baptist sanctuary in old Havana, Calvary Baptist Church, the conference, was indeed, historic and meaningful.

Delegates traveled from all over the island, from Santiago, Las Tunas, Bayamo, Camaguay, Via Clara, Guantanamo and indeed all regions of Cuba. Eight special buses were hired to transport these leaders. Even an earthquake that struck Santiago de Cuba a few days before the conference began did not prevent the delegates attending. The tension of visas into Cuba being granted at the last minute, the challenge of importing nearly 1000 Bible study and other study books in Spanish, and the delicate process involved in the issuance of a US government license to facilitate travel to Cuba for some team members, all stretched faith- but made the conference even more special. There was a festive air as the meetings began which even heightened the expectation and the serious intent of the Living Water conference. For the first time Cuban Baptists were truly joining together!

Very joyous, effervescent music characterized the worship throughout, mostly well-known Spanish language hymns and praise songs. But as well, the Cubans decided to compose their own Living Water theme song, a great new tune with very appropriate words. Once learned, it quickly became a favorite and was sung throughout the conference with exuberance. Its chorus reads,

Christ is the Living Water, who fills my being. He is the water the world needs to drink,

Whoever has taken from Him, will never thirst again. Christ is the Living Water, He is the light and truth.

He is the never-ending source of joy, to whoever trusts in him, eternal life will gush forth, like a spring, from his soul.

It was fascinating to observe (and enjoy) the instrumentalists who supported the worship team of three or four singers. There were 21 of these, with key-board, drums, trumpets, clarinets, flutes, saxophones, guitars as well as their own indigenous instruments. Cubans are known for their music and the churches are blest with numbers of extremely talented singers and other musicians. We were blest by the marvelous worship through joyous singing and superb worship leadership.

Extremely long sheets of various blues and white fabric suspended across the entire front of the church conveyed an appearance of moving water, a most appropriate back-drop to a Living Water conference.

People came to study and to explore issues relevant to the Cuban situation. Two afternoon sessions consisted of twenty work-groups and as well, six affinity groups, for pastors, young people, women, home missionaries, denominational leaders and evangelists.

Activity in one work-group was extremely moving. The leader, basing her talk on the Book of Job and the Psalms asked the participants to each write a prayer of lament, recognising the suffering many Cubans have and continue to endure

These Cuban leaders were so frank and serious. It was very moving. Even though pouring out their hearts with genuine lament about their own or some close person’s situation, like Job, they retain their undoubted hope in a merciful God. And while some lament, all seem to be unashamedly contending for the faith. We did not have to teach Cuban Baptists to witness to their faith in Christ – they are natural evangelists.

Workshops included:

• Living Water and our evangelistic mandate
• Living Water and discipleship
• Pastoral care for the congregation
• Encouraging young people to serve
• Living Water and worship
• The ministry of reconciliation
• The importance of establishing new congregations
• Living Water and the thirsty soul
• The ministry of prayer

General Secretary elect of the Caribbean Baptist Convention, Everton Weekes gave the opening address from, John chapter 4, a portion of Scripture about Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at a well in Samaria, often expounded at successive Living Water conferences.

Elmer Lavastida, well-known leader from the Eastern Convention provided a thoughtful overview of the spread of the Gospel throughout Cuba which evoked interesting questions and discussion. It was a prelude to important reports the four conventions gave on how they are seeking to witness to faith in Jesus Christ in their respective churches.

Professor Raymundo Aguilera from Havana gave a Bible study from John 7, and John Sundquist on the Missionary nature of our God. Daniel Carro preached on The Suffering Servant in Isaiah and Tony Cupit on Jesus: servant/ leader.

Ronald Bobo preached from Revelation 7 at the ]]>