Nationwide Power Outages Don’t Stop Adventist Church Caravan Across Cuba

Seventh-day Adventists across Cuba launched their local phase of the worldwide OneVoice27 initiative on September 5 during an evangelistic caravan that traveled through 12 of the island’s 15 provinces, drawing hundreds of church members and visitors for worship, training, baptisms, and evangelistic meetings.

The caravan, titled “Una voz que reaviva” (A Reviving Voice), began in Pinar del Río and continued east across the country, bringing several congregations together at larger churches for evening programs. Along the way, a dozen congregations were formally organized as churches, bringing the number of organized Adventist churches in Cuba to 402, according to Aldo Joel Pérez, president of the Cuban Union Conference.

The meetings took place amid prolonged power outages and economic difficulties. Pérez estimated that about 800 people attended the opening Sabbath program in Pinar del Río despite the lack of electricity.

“In every place we went, we were in darkness,” Pérez said. “But the attendance was wonderful. The churches were completely full. It was inspiring to see so many people there in the dark.”

Generators provided basic lighting and power for sound equipment at principal meeting sites.

“The church remains enthusiastic despite the crisis we are living through,” Pérez said. “The church is focused on the great mission, on finishing the preaching of the gospel. The church is active. The church keeps moving forward.”

A Message of Hope and Mission

William Barrero, Personal Ministries and Sabbath School director for the Inter-American Division (IAD), joined the caravan from Pinar del Río to Holguín. He met with pastors to present the IAD strategic plan and its three major mission initiatives—OneVoice27, Impact 2028, and Every Church, One Church. New churches were organized in the afternoons, followed by evangelistic meetings in the evenings.

“What impressed me was the spirit of the members,” Barrero said. “Every night the churches were full, and they sang with great enthusiasm and joy.”

Barrero said the organization of the new churches reflected years of evangelistic work.

“You could not organize 12 new churches if people were not making decisions,” he said. “I saw a very fervent and resilient church, with a spirit of worship, motivated and very receptive to the initiatives of the division.”

His evening messages centered on the second coming of Christ and the hope of the gospel.

“This is not the time to lower our arms, to give up or to become discouraged,” Barrero said. “This is the time to redouble our strength and perseverance.”

At the close of his messages Barrero invited those willing to participate in OneVoice27 to turn on their cell phones and hold them in the air.

“In Cuba, despite the blackouts, we have the light of Christ to move forward in preaching the gospel,” he told participants.

Preparing for Digital Evangelism

The September 5 launch also highlighted the challenge of participating in a digital evangelism initiative in which internet access can be limited.

During periods that electricity and internet service were available, members posted and interacted online as part of the OneVoice27 launch, Barrero said.

Training is also underway for what Pérez described as “creative disciples,” preparing church members to use available communication tools to share the gospel as the church moves toward OneVoice27 in 2027.

“This is an opportunity for all of us to unite,” Pérez said.

Decades of Growth

The 12 churches organized during the caravan marked another milestone in decades of Adventist growth on the island.

In 1990 Cuba had about 100 organized Adventist churches, Pérez said. Changes allowing believers to gather in homes helped open the way for evangelistic expansion. With the latest congregations organized during the caravan, the number has reached 402.

More than 10 additional congregations are expected to be organized in the coming months, potentially bringing the total to more than 420 by the end of the year.

“The church continues to grow and become stronger,” Pérez said.

A Changed Life in San Antonio del Sur

Among the stories Pérez encountered during the caravan was that of a man in San Antonio del Sur, in eastern Cuba, whose wife began attending a new Adventist congregation and received Bible studies.

She repeatedly invited her husband to accompany her. He told her he would go after he had finished the alcohol he had at home.

Then one Sabbath, as his wife prepared for church, he surprised her.

“Why didn’t you prepare my clothes?” he asked.

He began attending and, with what Pérez described as God’s help, stopped drinking. He eventually became an enthusiastic leader in the new congregation.

For Pérez, his story illustrates what the organization of new churches represents beyond institutional growth—individual lives being changed as Adventist communities take root.

Churches Serving Their Communities

The caravan also gave leaders a closer look at how Adventist congregations are serving their communities.

Several churches operate water purification systems that provide drinking water to surrounding neighborhoods. Pérez said some of the systems were donated by Christian churches in the United States.

Barrero said residents regularly line up at Adventist churches for water. The service has helped congregations build relationships with neighbors, some of whom later attend church programs.

Donated solar panels are also enabling some churches to provide electricity to their communities. Barrero recalled one congregation sharing power with firefighters and a hospital.

“It was interesting to see the whole block dark and the church illuminated,” Barrero said. “The Bible says that we are the light of the world, and many churches are sharing that light with their neighbors, just as they share water.”

Looking Toward 2027

Church leaders said OneVoice27 will build on those efforts by mobilizing members to use their voices, gifts, and available communication tools to share Jesus.

Cuba is now preparing for a coordinated evangelistic emphasis in September 2027 as part of the initiative. Barrero said the response during the caravan reflected members’ willingness to take part.

For Pérez, OneVoice27 provides an opportunity to unite members around a common purpose.

“It helps us turn our attention away from some of the problems we have and focus on the mission we have,” Pérez said, “and on the task of proclaiming the gospel.”

Ireidys Pita contributed information to this article.

The original version of this story was posted on the Inter-American Division news site.