I still remember the first time I saw her. We were celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Free Will Baptist Convention of Cuba at the Cedars of Lebanon Theological Seminary. I was 15 years old. She had lost her sight, but not her vision. She looked very old and needed support to walk to the front of the congregation. She told stories from her youth and encouraged us to be faithful to the Lord.
As I did with so many other heroes of the faith who were present, I looked at Virginia Estévez with admiration and respect. She had known Thomas and Mabel Willey. She dedicated her entire life to serving the Lord. She lived through really difficult times in Cuban history and still always maintained her faith. While other elderly people become bitter with the passing of the years, she seemed to grow more and more joyful — willing not only to bear witness, but to be a living witness of our God.
One way she served the Lord from a very young age was constantly praying for specific children. One of those children was me! She kept children’s photos and names to intercede for them before God. When I found out, I felt supported. A mixture of joy, love, peace, and gratitude filled my heart.
I was 17 years old before I met her in person. Cari Ortiz, one of her spiritual daughters who looked after her, was with her. When I finally sat next to Virginia Estévez, I introduced myself and thanked her for her prayers. I also told her I had decided, like her, to be a missionary, to enter the seminary to study. I don’t have the words to describe how her face lit up. Tears ran down her cheeks, and she thanked me.
Today, Virginia is with the Lord. She has returned home, finished her race, and obtained her reward. She never married or had biological children, but she never lacked spiritual children to care for her in old age. I can’t help but think about how many servants of God I know today — spanning multiple generations — who were in her prayers. I believe this is precisely where discipleship of the next generation begins: with prayer.
More than 80 years ago, Thomas Willey came to Cuba with his family. Many generations have passed since then, but I firmly believe nothing would have been possible without prayer. Since this has been the case, today we pray for the generations following us who will serve the Lord.
We disciple upcoming generations in several ways.
Some churches have an up-close and personal mentoring program: one leader for each disciple. They walk together in daily life, learning from shared experience. This closeness yields the confidence and privacy to allow the disciple to open his or her heart and confess sins and wounds needing the Lord’s healing.
This is a long-term strategy and sometimes seems slow and without much visible fruit. However, it gives the disciple a small, private space to be sincere and, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, recognize needs and accept God’s transformation. In this way, the mentor, with the help of the Holy Spirit, can guide the disciple, always in a biblical way, to deal with aspects of spiritual growth unlikely to be confessed or shared in a group.
The second part of this strategy is an endless chain of biblical discipleship. The objective is to make disciples who become mentors for other disciples. The disciple is prepared, in turn, to make another disciple. When the time comes, this next group will mentor other disciples. This is what Jesus did with His disciples and what they did with others.
Through local discipleship courses or Bible institutes, the next generations are prepared in subjects such as inductive (Bible study) methods, New Testament, Old Testament, bibliology, homiletics, Spanish (language), Christian life, biblical customs and practices, and more. The goal is to prepare responsible and capable leadership to work within the church, achieving a healthy balance between a spiritual life of integrity and the necessary academic preparation to minister to others in the local church. Through these courses, those who become youth leaders, children’s teachers, worship leaders, evangelists, and counselors in the churches are trained.
Everything does not end here. Young people are tested and supervised by their pastors. Those who feel a genuine call, meet the requirements, and have the necessary maturity can enter the Cedars of Lebanon Free Will Baptist Theological Seminary. They prepare with greater rigor and depth for life in ministry, not only in theory, but also in practice.
Students must be involved in practical ministry in what we call “missionary fields.” These fields can be house churches, missions, or small churches where students practice everything they learn, practical training along with instruction.
The main objective of the National Department of Free Will Baptist Youth is the discipleship and growth of new generations. We recognize the ever-increasing need for Christ for our nation. The largest event each year is the week of spiritual and recreational retreat for young people, which we call youth camp.
Last August, we used the theme Influencers, based on the biblical text of 1 Timothy 4:12 and focused on teaching young people how God wants to use them and their testimonies to be influential for God’s glory and purposes. That event gathers the largest number of young Free Will Baptists to focus on a responsible, intentional study of the Scriptures and spiritual growth.
In addition, young people participate in missionary trips throughout the year to various regions of the country. We spend approximately four days in small, remote churches that need support. Food and work materials are provided by donations. Young people from area churches attend after receiving an open invitation made months in advance.
Based on the needs of the church and the characteristics of the region, we plan a program. We start with a workshop on practical evangelism for youth. Later, we choose work teams, considering the gifts and talents of each young person, without losing focus on evangelism. Some evangelize in the streets.
Others do evangelism with children. We also evangelize through sports and donations of clothing and food to needy people in the area. This strategy allows young people to apply what they learn. By immediately employing teaching, they can take this training back to their churches and encourage them in local outreach.
We have had wonderful experiences during these events. On one occasion, we were allowed to share the gospel with the elderly in a nursing home through food and interaction. Services are always held in the host church, and we connect new converts to the pastor who will continue the discipleship process.
God has a purpose in everything. His wonderful plans do not end when servants like Thomas, Mabel, or Virginia leave to be with Him. No! The work will continue until His glorious return. God used these servants to prepare previous generations…and ours.
Today, God wants to use us to prepare future generations. Let us pray and act. Let us be part of God’s great work. To Him be all the glory.
About the Writer: Anna Sotero Fernández grew up in a ministry family. Her father Leonel Sotero is the current executive secretary of Cuba's national convention, a pastor, and a church-planter. She and her pastor husband, Emanuel López Ramírez, live in a rural farming community where they focus on church-planting, evangelism, youth work, and community ministry. Anna is the leader of Cuba's National Youth Ministry, as well as a children's teacher and translator.
