The Christian Faith Comes to Cambodia
The history of the Cambodian church is a story of periods of growth alternating with periods of persecution. Cambodians who have turned to Jesus Christ from Buddhism or animism have been accused of betraying their country.
In 1555, Roman Catholic missionary Gaspar de Cruz visited the capital, Longvek, at the invitation of King Ang Chan I.
The first Protestant missionaries arrived in 1923, but by 1970 there were only about 700 Christians in Cambodia. In 1965 Prince Sihanouk had expelled all missionaries in an anti-CIA campaign.
Between 1970 and 1975 missionaries were permitted to return and the church grew to about 10,000. Then came Year Zero. By 1979 only about 200 Christians remained alive in Cambodia.
In 1990, when the church emerged from its most recent wave of persecution and was given government permission to function openly, there were ten evangelical churches in Cambodia. Today, according to The Joshua Project, 3.3% of Cambodia's estimated nearly 18 million population (just under 600,000), are Christian adherents. 1.4% are evangelical.
The constitution of Cambodia states:
"Khmer citizens of either sex shall have the rights to freedom of belief.
"Freedom of belief and religious worship shall be guaranteed by the State on the condition that such freedom does not affect other beliefs and religions or violate public order and security.
"Buddhism shall be the religion of the State."
Cambodian Christians about to be baptised
More on Cambodian Church History
See:
François Ponchaud, The Cathedral of the Rice Paddy: 450 Years of History of the Church in Cambodia. Translated from the French into English by Nancy Pignarre and the Bishop Salas Cambodian Catholic Center (Paris: Le Sarment, Fayard, 1990)
Cry of the Gecko by Brian M. Maher (also available in a Kindle edition)
The Church in Cambodia Today
Although the church in Cambodia is growing, it lacks many of the resources that Christians in the West take for granted, such as trained pastors, Bibles, Christian literature and well equipped church buildings. Many church workers need a paid job outside the church in order to support their families.
Bible schools, Christian radio stations, recordings of Christian music, teaching on video, Bible distribution and theological training programmes are all helping to equip Cambodian Christians to grow in their faith and share the good news of Jesus Christ.
What Kind of Church?
Most churches in Cambodia meet in purpose-built buildings, in many cases constructed and equipped with funds provided by overseas donors. Others may meet underneath a house on stilts.
Some church leaders seek an affluent lifestyle, high status and close relationships with rich, influential people. Others are humble servants of their congregations.
For many Cambodian Christians, 'church' is a meeting they attend on Sunday morning, providing limited interaction with their brothers and sisters in Christ. Few churches organise small groups for discipleship growth, Bible study, prayer and mutual edification and support.
CCC's view is the Cambodian church (indeed, the church in every country) needs to be freed from its dependence on resource-hungry buildings, be restructured into small groups, meet in homes, cultivate closer relationships and real fellowship in a more intimate setting, equip members to make disciples who make disciples, adopt a strategy of multiplication, and be equipped to survive persecution, if that should come. Cambodian church members need to stop being spectators at a performance and become active participants in fulfilling Christ's great commission — in their own country and beyond.
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” — Mark 16:15
