Cuba Baptist seminary rises from near-extinction

HAVANA, Cuba — More than 70 students in Havana received diplomas July 5–6 through a partnership that has revived a Cuban seminary during the past eight years.

Western Cuba Baptist Theological Seminary in Havana, which was on the brink of extinction, has flourished under its partnership with Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, as pastors and church planters receive theological training for spreading the gospel throughout the Caribbean island country.

Southwestern Seminary President Paige Patterson and missions professor Daniel Sanchez presided over the Havana seminary’s two graduation ceremonies.

“The interesting thing is that this is more graduates than they had students when we first started helping them, and this does not count all the [graduates] from the extension centers,” Sanchez said. “They were rejoicing over not only the quantity but the quality of students that they have who are graduating, all of them active in churches throughout the convention.”