Suport for H.R. 4645 grows

April 12, 2010

The Honorable Collin Peterson
Chairman
Committee on Agriculture
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Mr. Chairman:

We write as leaders and mission directors of U.S. Christian communions, their agencies, and ecumenical organizations in the United States to express to you and your committee our support for H.R. 4645, the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act, the legislation you have sponsored with Congressman Moran and more than 40 of your House colleagues. With you, we believe that this legislation will help to break down travel and trade barriers. In addition to supporting our work with Cuban churches, it will also provide new sources of nutrition, economic activity, and support for the Cuban people.

For decades the U.S. policy toward Cuba has had adverse consequences for the Cuban people and has violated important freedoms of U.S. citizens. It has failed in its stated objective to bring about major change in the Cuban political system. The hostility between the two governments has harmed relationships between our two peoples, including among people of faith. This has impoverished our knowledge of each other as people, denied the mutual benefits that full and free travel and exchange can bring, and disrupted the close historical bonds between many of our churches.

As churches and religious institutions with a long history of close relationships with churches in Cuba, we have keenly experienced the impact of the travel ban on our work and on the lives of the Cuba people to whom we relate. U.S. churches, mission agencies and ecumenical organizations at the national and regional levels have had their religious activities severely impeded by the travel restrictions, which have reduced their ability to send religious delegations to Cuba and severely diminished our capacity to accompany and support our Cuban church partners.

Cuban churches are growing rapidly, presenting new opportunities for U.S. churches and ecumenical institutions to relate to and support their Cuban brothers and sisters in Christ. Current restrictions on travel to Cuba are unfair and inappropriate and restrain religious freedom. This is a critical time to open wide the doors to allow greater people-to-people engagement of all kinds and at all levels between the two countries. We must not miss this opportunity!

We believe that now is the time to reform U.S. policy toward Cuba in ways that benefit all the people of Cuba and the United States. We urge you, the Agriculture Committee, and the Congress to give favorable consideration to H.R. 4645 without amendment so that the travel and food sales reforms remain intact. We hope that we can work with you to advance the mutual interests of the U.S. and Cuban people.

Yours sincerely,
Bishop John F. White
Ecumenical and Urban Affairs Officer
African Methodist Episcopal Church

The Reverend Dr. A. Roy Medley
General Secretary
American Baptist Churches USA

The Reverend Dr. José Norat Rodríguez
Area Director for Iberoamerica and
the Caribbean
American Baptist Churches

The Reverend Raul Ruiz
Spanish American Baptist Church
of Union City
Union City, NJ

The Reverend Gerard Dykstra
Executive Director
Christian Reformed Church
in North America

Gary J. Bekker
Director
Christian Reformed World Missions

The Reverend Luis Pellecer
Latin America Regional Director
Christian Reformed World Missions

The Reverend John L. McCullough
Executive Director and CEO
Church World Service

The Reverend Raquel Rodriguez
Director for Latin America and the
Caribbean
Global Mission
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Alexander D. Baumgarten
Director of Government Relations
The Episcopal Church

The Reverend Felix Ortiz-Cotto
Executive, Latin America and the Caribbean /
Ejecutivo, América Latina y el Caribe
Global Ministries of the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) and United Church of
Christ/ Ministerios Globales

The Reverend Dr. Michael Kinnamon
General Secretary
National Council of Churches

The Reverend Hunter Farrell
Director, World Mission
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Sara Pottschmidt Lisherness
Director, Compassion, Peace and
Justice Ministry
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

The Reverend Brenda Girton Mitchell
Ecumenical Officer
Progressive National Baptist Convention

James E. Winkler
General Secretary
General Board of Church and Society
United Methodist Church

Thomas G. Kemper
General Secretary
General Board of Global Ministries
United Methodist Church

The Reverend Jorge L F Domingues,
Deputy General Secretary
Mission and Evangelism, General Board
of Global Ministries
United Methodist Church

The Reverend Edgar Avitia Legarda,
Executive Secretary
Latin American and the Caribbean,
General Board of Global Ministries
United Methodist Church