HAVANA–Kyle Ramsey, a layperson at First Baptist Church Brandon, was honored recently by the Western Cuba Baptist Convention for the significant spiritual impact he has made over his 25 years of mission service in Western Cuba.
He is the first Florida Baptist to receive such recognition from the Western Cuba Baptist Convention.
‘A simple missionary adventure’
At the urging of his wife, Ramsey embarked on his first mission trip to Western Cuba in 2000, just three years after Florida Baptists had entered into a partnership with the Western Cuba Baptist Convention.
Western Cuba and heaven look a lot different today because of the faithfulness of Kyle Ramsey to carry out the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus.
That first trip seemed to set the course for the next quarter century of Ramsey’s life.
A video, shown on the evening of Ramsey’s recognition stated, “What started as a simple missionary adventure on a trip to Cuba became a continuous volunteer ministry that extends to the present day.”
The recognition, the video continued, “is nothing” compared to what “God will give you one day in His mansions of glory for all that you have done, do and will do for Baptist churches in Western Cuba.”
In accepting the recognition in March, Ramsey, not one to cast the spotlight on himself, said, “Everything that we do is to build the kingdom and for God’s glory.”
Over the past 25 years, Ramsey has made 75 mission trips to Cuba, and he now serves as the Western Cuba volunteer coordinator for the Florida Baptist Convention.
As the volunteer coordinator, Ramsey meets with church leaders, local churches and mission teams to provide information and guidelines on how to safely and strategically serve in Cuba.
“It is my job to coordinate teams in Florida, get them started and up to speed in what is involved, the hurdles they may encounter, what they can do and what they can’t do while there,” said Ramsey.
‘A voice of hope and encouragement’
“God has used the life of Kyle Ramsey to be a voice of hope and encouragement to the churches of Western Cuba for over 25 years. He has faithfully served His Lord Jesus by serving his brothers and sisters in Christ in the Western Cuba Baptist Convention,” said Myles Dowdy, Florida Baptists’ catalyst for missions and ministries.
“He has literally changed the Christian landscape of Western Cuba through the building and renovation of countless churches through the years. He has coordinated the trips and projects for hundreds of Florida Baptist mission teams into Western Cuba. Kyle’s focus and purpose of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ have not changed but have only grown stronger through the years.
“Western Cuba and heaven look a lot different today because of the faithfulness of Kyle Ramsey to carry out the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus,” Dowdy said.
‘Church on fire’
Dowdy explained that spiritual revival is sweeping throughout Western Cuba. Every statistic—churches, members, professions of faith, baptisms, pastors and seminary students—increased in 2024.
“The church is on fire in Cuba,” Ramsey agreed. “If you want to hear worship and if you want to see what it looks like to really love God, you have to go visit a church in Cuba,” Ramsey said.
At 68-years-old, Ramsey has no plans of slowing down, and he encourages other Florida Baptists that serving in Cuba is “one simple phone call” away.
“I will keep going to Cuba as long as the Lord keeps sending me and things keep happening,” he said.
“How can one not want to be part of the explosion of the church and kingdom in Cuba?”