Unity as a Vocation of Testimony of the Churches in Cuba
The Formation Area of the Cuban Council of Churches (CCC) held in Camaguey, its Theology and Pastoral Symposium, from December 6-9, 2022, in the province of Camaguey. The title of it was “Unity as a Vocation of Testimony of the Church. Some other themes included in the forum were Ecumenism, Ecumenical Understanding and Formation, Building Relationships, Advocacy, Testimony and Ecumenical Diakonia.
On December 7, the Area hosted a worship remembering the life and work of the Reverend Oden Marichal Rodríguez, ecumenical leader, and former president of the CCC, whose legacy in favor of the unity of the Cuban church still inspire the work of this institution. Perhaps the most emotional moment of the program of the Symposium was the inauguration of the photographic exhibition in honor of Reverend Marichal. A selection of important moments of Marichal’ s ministry, immortalized in the photographs, was presented to the participants of the event and to the Camagüeyan public.
The Reverend Odén Marichal served as Secretary of the Evangelical Youth of Morón (FEJEMO) in 1956. In 1961 he was one of the reorganizers of the Evangelical Youth of Cuba (FEJECU) and in that same year one of the Founders (Seniors) of the Christian Student Movement of Cuba (MEC-Cuba). Between 1993–1995 he was the director of the Study Center of the Cuban Council of Churches. Then, Pastor Marichal served from 1995 -2000 as the CCC´s President. In that place of service, he stood out in his work as the main organizer, designer and director of the Cuban Evangelical Celebration, held in 1999. It has been, by far, the largest concentration of Protestants and Evangelical Christians in Cuba. For the first time a public event brought together all Christian denominations of Cuba, with more than 50 activities in towns and cities. This was an unprecedented event in the history of the Christian church in Latin America, where different theological, philosophical, social, and political currents converged, finding a climate of freedom and respect. Between 2006-2008 Odén Marichal directed the CCC´s Study Center, promoting the study of religion in Cuba and its contextual challenges. Later and until 2012 he served as the CCC´s Executive Secretary.
Other activities in the Symposium included an analysis of the Cuban context from a socio-economic, ecclesial and ecumenical perspective, evaluating challenges and opportunities for the Cuban church today. Pastor Eduardo González, Coordinator of the Cuban Council of Churches in the Ciego de Ávila Province, conducted that presentation. Also, the Reverend Francisco Rodés, a well-known Baptist pastor and ecumenist, shared a bible study titled “That all may be one so the world could believe”. Participants debated during the days of the Symposium on those themes and hope that, with their reflections, CCC could be benefited in its ministry among churches and the people of Cuba.