Listening to Cuban Ministry Leaders: A Profile of an Ideal Missionary

This article aims to describe the profile of the ideal missionary from the perspective of Cuban ministry leaders. Using snowball sampling, data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 17 Cuban ministry leaders with at least two years of experience working with foreign missionaries. Data was analyzed using first and second coding methods. The findings indicated that Cuban ministry leaders describe the ideal missionary as having character qualities that include humility, flexibility, and teachability; relational values which include respecting national partners, listening to national believers, and avoiding imposition on the national church; cultural competence skills which included being “uno mas,” an ability to adapt to Cuba, and understanding local conditions; finally, ministry skills included having evangelism skills, knowing the Bible, and Spanish proficiency. These findings are significant for developing training for missionaries working in Cuba. Additionally, these findings are significant for mission training agencies working in other contexts.