*This update was completed just before two earthquakes struck Venezuela. Click here to read the urgent prayer in response to this event. *
“Heavenly Father, creator of heaven and earth….
Stir the hearts of nations and neighbours to respond with urgency and compassion to follow the words of Jesus ‘‘love thy neighbour”…
May communities come together, sharing what little they possess,
trusting in Your abundance.
Grant healing, restoration and hope.
In Your mercy, Lord, hear our prayer. Amen.”
The president of Mennonite World Conference sent out a pastoral call for prayer some months ago, first for Venezuela after violent intervention in their governance by the USA, then for Cuba which is suffering food and fuel shortages due to a USA fuel blockade. Local leaders from the Anabaptist family spoke of how their communities were affected.
The prayer above from an MWC member church in India is an example of messages recipients send in responses to these appeals for prayer, says Kristina Toews, manager of Communications. Pastoral letters are sent to General Council delegates to distribute to their membership, to subscribers on the Prayer Network mailing list, and to the regional representatives to distribute among their contacts. They are also shared in MWC Info, the monthly e-newsletter, and are posted on the website, where members around the world may share words of prayer and encouragement.
Several months later, MWC’s regional representatives asked the church leaders for updates:
Cuba
Over the past two years the situation has become more and more unstable with increased violence and robberies according to Pastor Luis Hernández, of MWC member church Sociedad Misionera Cubana Hermanos en Cristo (Brethren in Christ).
He reports that the availability of food reduces every day, prices are high and some people go without food for some days. The government has no resources to share. The church shares its meager resources with the communities around them.
“The situation can be described as dire,” says George Broughton, MWC regional representative for Latin America – Caribbean.
The church continues to relate and walk alongside the communities. Despite the challenges, Luis Hernández says the church is showing positive signs of growth: frequent baptisms and increased church attendance. A continued struggle is the loss of young people – especially young leaders nurtured by the church – who migrate to seek a future with more opportunities.
What message does Luis Hernández have for the global church on behalf his community in Cuba?
“Despite the suffering, pain, scarcity, transportational problems and economic hardship,
the Anabaptist church in Cuba is growing in numbers. We would like to be supported not only in prayer but economically and emotionally as well.”
Venezuela
*This update was completed just before two earthquakes struck Venezuela. Click here to read the urgent prayer in response to this event. *
Venezuela had been living with severe economic hardship for years before the 2026 coup. Accordingly, some greeted it with hope for change. Political prisoners were freed and there were some economic improvements.
However, prices are rising, water systems have been inoperable in some regions, and gas and electricity are scarce.
The government has been nationalizing some building assets, but the proceeds generally benefit those close to the government. Some churches have sought benefits by aligning with government interests and using religious events for campaigning, while others disagree.
Many pastors do not receive a wage for their work, and some are giving up. Pastor Euclides Bauza of the Red de Misiones Menonitas in Venezuela continues to visit the congregations throughout the region and receives hospitality.
What message does Euclides Bauza have for the global church on behalf his community in Venezuela?
“We as Mennonites are persevering, helping each other and with some support from abroad. Starting a new congregation. With every meeting of a congregation, we share a meal.
“We are helping each other, and in communication with the fire department and civil defense to help people get to the hospital. There are many people with needs. There is a lot of illness and poor nourishment. We are setting aside some money that comes into the church to help people with medicines, etc.”
In the last MWC statistics survey, 390 baptized members were reported in Anabaptist-identifying congregations in Venezuela. Casa de Restauración y Vida Shalom is an associate member of MWC. Churches in Cuba reported 5 200 members, including MWC member Sociedad Misionera Cubana Hermanos en Cristo (Brethren in Christ).
For each to have enough
Sadly, in addition to political uncertainties and climatic disruptions, economic disparity accompanies our diverse global Anabaptist-Mennonite family.
Inspired by the biblical teaching of “Jubilee” (in Leviticus 25, for example), Mennonite World Conference set up the Global Church Sharing Fund. The aim is to put into action the Apostle Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 8:13-15: “The aim is equality; as scripture has it, ‘Those who gathered more did not have too much, and those who gathered less did not have too little.’”
With support from MWC’s Global Church Sharing Fund, Sociedad Misionera Cubana Hermanos en Cristo was able to install solar panels in one location to provide electricity for a church and surrounding community.
“Praying for one another is one of the ways we live out our calling to be a communion of Anabaptist-related churches linked to one another in a worldwide community of faith for fellowship, worship, service and witness,” says Henk Stenvers, MWC president. “It is way of providing care from afar. But may our prayers also move us to action as the Spirit shows how we can support our brothers and sisters far away.”