Cuban Church Poised to Reintegrate

From The Living Church-

If next year’s General Convention approves reintegrating the Episcopal Church of Cuba with the Episcopal Church in the United States, American Episcopalians will discover a church at once foreign and familiar. The Cuban church is historically Episcopal; it began as a mission of the Episcopal Church. That relationship ended with the U.S. embargo of Cuba in 1960 and subsequent deterioration of the countries’ relationship.

The churches parted ways in 1966, and the Metropolitan Council of Cuba was set up to govern the extra-provincial church. The council now consists of Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, Archbishop Fred Hiltz of Canada, and Archbishop John Holder of the West Indies.

Exchange between the countries rekindled after the Obama administration’s decision to lessen travel restrictions, allowing for Americans — including Episcopalians — to visit the island after decades of absence. Relations between the churches started to mend as well, and the Cuban church voted in 2015 to rejoin the Episcopal Church in the United States. The Task Force on the Episcopal Church in Cuba, established by the 2015 General Convention to explore the question, intends to recommend reintegration, the Rev. Luis León told TLC in June. León, the task force chairman, said the Metropolitan Council has not been able to provide the kind of support the Cuban church needs. Thus, it has been far-off, isolated.

More here-

http://livingchurch.org/2017/11/03/cuban-church-poised-to-reintegrate/