Cambodian Christian Related Articles

A Thumbnail Sketch of Evangelical Cambodian Church

*This is a brief outline and it is not meant to be all inclusive.  Events from the early 90’s and on are recorded from my own observations as one who lived in Cambodia from ’94 to the present and this view is from my perch.

 Much Cambodian History presented at the Cambodia Christian Service conference in San Jose in 1991.  According to the work of Rev. Paul Ellison (C&MA MK), who spent his youth in Cambodia with his famous missionary parents, and who took over their work in Cambodia, explains that evidence in church history and in the VN-Cambodia culture points to early missions activity in the Indo-China Early Church is on Target

In Syria , A Nestorian Church Conference with Indo-China reps (450 AD).

Evidence in Culture

Use of the cross to ward off evil spirits over the centuries.

Creation, Fall and Flood Epics among minority groups.

*Cham people in VN having Ancient terms for Father, Son & H.S.

Lessons from & for Church History-

Shows in part the extent & effects of Nestorian Missions.

No lasting presence- failed to translate scripture and train indigenous leaders.

Catholic Missions to Cambodia  Krom ( Lower Cambodia inside the Mekong Delta)

1517 was the first Catholic attempt to have influence in Cambodia . Didn’t take off well.  In 1555, Catholic Missionary Gaspar de Cruz visited the Capital, Loung Verk by the invitation of King Preah Bat Ang Chan the First.  One of the King’s family members became a Christian but after he died, the Royal Family had little contact with Christianity after that. 1570 was the first established presence, first by the Portuguese and then the Spanish. Catholic success in VN kept the focus there.  French Catholics had the most success.   France colonized Cambodia in 1863.  During this time, a few more relatives of the King become believers but were not able to be baptized.

Over 400 years they produced a Cambodian Prayer book. Only beginning in the late 60’s did they start to translate some scriptures (Reverends Rondineaux & Ponchaud). 

The Catholic Church, in various shades and stripes, has some good works going on through NGO’s who work with handicapped people or the poor in many of the provinces.  Mother Theresa was here twice in the early 90’s, speaking both times at the International Church of Phnom Penh.  The Catholic Church has not seen the numerical expansion that the Evangelical church is enjoying but there does not seem to a big push by the Catholic Church to convert Buddhists to Catholicism.

The Catholic Church’s Father Ponchaud (still here) had done much of the foundational work on the New Translation of the Khmer Bible (More about that later).

Return of Evangelical Missions

The C & MA entered in Cambodia in 1923 as the first Evangelical Missionaries since the Nestorian Church .  Rev. David Ellison and his wife were to work on starting a Bible school to train up pastors and church leaders and Rev. Arthur Hammond was commissioned to translate the scriptures into a Cambodian version. Hence the translation, upon completion was called the Hammond Version.  Translated straight from the KJV English into the Khmer language of the time.

C & MA is responsible for the first Cambodian Bible and should be credited for much of the hard work of preparing the soil for the success of mission endeavors today.  They did not appear to see much fruit between 1923 and 1965.  Maybe 2000 converts over those years but the foundation C & MA laid was invaluable for the growth of the Kingdom God in the near future.

Kampuchea

A group of Cambodians among the 2.5 million living in VN’s Mekong Delta became Christians and were being ministered to by the CMA over the years but in 1954 they were attacked and persecuted by another group and fled to Takeo Province and Battambang  Both groups that were settled were sizable groups and helped strengthen the church and Christian Witness. A Jerusalem/Antioch situation

Battambang Rice Christians

David Ellison ministering from His home confronts Rice Christianity – he hears rumors that those who give their to Christ will receive a bag of rice and 200 reils.

*Church in BB grows steadily up through the early 60’s.  Paul Ellison credits some of the success with the fact in the Delta there was more formal Buddhist institutions as social centers to keep the people focused on Buddhism. In BB city at that time, there was not such a formal structure to keep drawing them back. People were freer to be open to other ideas.

1928 ,Skoun, Kompong Cham– Seeds planted from a Gospel Track grow, produce 8 pastors.

1932, Kbal Chour, Kratie, -Rev. Gordon Smith leads one family to Christ before he leaves to VN to minister to minority groups.

1932- King Sisawath Monivong’s Anti- Prosyletizing Act

Prompted C & MA missionaries to consider relocating to VN.  This did a lot to slow down the numerical growth of the church. It brought persecution and hard times but seemed to refine, build up the purity and depth of the Khmer church, such as happened under the Japanese occupation during the Second World War.

1952 – C & MA Cuts subsidy to Pastors

C & MA learns of patronage problem through cutting of subsidizing (over a 3 year period) of pastor’s salaries.  Threatens relations between missionaries and nationals. Lose some but those who stay end up being much stronger and well prepared for the next blow against the church.  Pastor Vonn leaves C&MA.

1953-54,   Cambodia Receives Independence from France

Pol Pot Leaves to Study in France , King Sihanouk was presented with a copy of the recently published Hammond Bible and declares religious freedom although Protestant Christianity is not officially recognized.  The Bible School is moved from Battambang to Tahkmau, just south of PP where it began to train many new pastors.  By 1965, the church had about 2000 evangelical believers.

1965 – Winds of Political Change Are Blowing

All western missionaries are being forced to leave by not having their visas renewed.  As Sihanouk aligns with China and Vietnam , Western Missionaries are kicked out and Christian Nat. Church leaders are jailed on trumped up charges.  At this point, the CMA was claiming about 2000 believers in their denomination.  There was not a whole lot of other groups at that time. 

C&MA missionaries go to VN in the delta to work with the Khmer. Slow work, little progress until they invite Khmer Pastor Seing Ang who has some good results among the Kampuchea Krom people.

1965 – Winds of Political Change Are Blowing

All western missionaries are being forced to leave by not having their visas renewed.  As Sihanouk aligns with China and Vietnam , Western Missionaries are kicked out and Christian Nat. Church leaders are jailed on trumped up charges.  At this point, the CMA was claiming about 2000 believers in their denomination.  There was not a whole lot of other groups at that time. 

C&MA missionaries go to VN in the delta to work with the Khmer. Slow work, little progress until they invite Khmer Pastor Seing Ang who has some good results among the Kampuchea Krom people.

1969-Advent of Pro- Western Lon Nol – Some Missionaries Return

Returning C&MA missionaries were surprised to find how well the Khmer Christians were doing with out them.  Churches in the city had grown especially.  The city was becoming “The” avenue for a quick spreading gospel as the communist insurgency was disturbing the normally peaceful life in country-side. The city was filling up with people- from 600,000 in ‘65, 700,000 in ‘69 and then almost 3 million in 1975.

1970

During this time other Christian Groups were contemplating the plight of Cambodia as it had been sucked into the Vietnam War, being used as pawn by China and Vietnam .  With the advent of Lon Nol , Cambodia flopped back to put their hope in west.  OMF came into Cambodia and worked alongside the existing CMA missionaries, beginning in Cambodia ’s Takmau Bible School .

In 1972, Stan Mooneyham, President of WV had discovered Cambodia ’s suffering during his travel in S.E. Asia.  Traveling overland from Vietnam , he made his first trip to Cambodia with  suitcases full of medicine. His second trip he drove a truck full of medical supplies from Saigon to Phnom Penh and worked with the Khmer Evangelical Church (CMA) to preach the gospel and treat war refugees. 

1972-73

Through this context, the church invited Mooneyham to lead a crusade in ‘72 and ‘73.  Over 3000 people gave their lives to Christ and some of today’s National Church leaders and Expat Khmer Church leaders here and overseas were the fruit of that ministry. Also those who lead the church in the border camps and during the days of  SOC were born of that campaign, especially Mam Barnabas who entered the Crusade as a spy for the communists and ended up getting saved.

Yos Molly, Yos Em Sithan, and Yos Sokun are saved under the influence of C&MA /OMF alliance at the Takmau Bible college studying English Bible with Alice Compain and Dr. Marylou Rorbacher.  Eventually their whole family becomes believers

Dr. Mooneyham went on to start medical clinics helping war orphans and refugees. He made plans for the building of the National Pediatric Hospital which was finished only days before the Khmer Rouge came in to take over the city.

Monsignor Francois Ponchaud and the UBS begin work on a new translation of the Bible.  OMF Missionary, Don Cormack arrives, later authors book, Killing Fields, Living Fields,  about the church in Cambodia .

Todd Burke, a young man associated with what would now be the Vineyard Fellowship made a short-term trip to Cambodia in 1974, claiming much fruit and many miracles. Later he would write a controversial book called, Anointed For Burial, about his experience in Cambodia before the curtain came down.  Although many take issue with what really happened in his book, his book has been a catalyst for many in helping them decide to come to Cambodia to serve as a missionary.  Radha  Manickum is saved under this ministry.

*I had mentioned that Todd Burke was leading a New Age Cult.  When someone questioned that statement, I wrote to a friend who was is very familiar with Todd’s history and this is what he wrote back to me:

There were miracles that took place under his ministry.  Many came to Christ including Radha Manickam and Sophal Ung.  Todd left in 1975, a couple of weeks before the fall of Cambodia .  He started a mission called “New Covenant Commission”.  Two of the leaders in NCC later went on to have prominent roles in the Vineyard movement and help establish Global Network in Cambodia in 1991.

New Covenant Commission folded in 1988 or 1989 after some serious financial problems and mismanagement.  Todd was already going “off”, getting involved in business and using his position in the mission to promote his business, particularly among the Cambodians in the US .  He left his family sometime in the late 80’s or early 90’s.  One of his sons was killed in a gun accident during that time.  It was at the funeral that he told his wife Deanne that he wasn’t coming back.

Todd is not leading a new age cult as some have said, but is heavily involved in the new age movement.  He said “Jesus was just a stepping stone to greater things”.  His wife Deanne is remarried and living in the mid-west.  I haven’t talked to her or her from her in over ten years.

*Apologies for not checking my sources on this one.  BM

C&MA estimated there were 10,000 Christians in PP at the close of ‘74, including 1000 Christian Refugees.

1975 (April 17th) – Hell is called into Session

Pol Pot in,  All Westerners and Missionaries out in early ‘75

*Pol Pot Reign of terror wipes most Christians, Monks, Politicians, intellectuals, anyone associated with the former regime.

Religious status, Pagodas and churches destroyed and thrown into rivers and lakes.

*Money burned, literature destroyed or used for cigarette paper.

*2 million tortured or starved to death by Pol Pot cadre.

The world is ignorant of the atrocities, Western Cambodian Scholars supporting new regime, not believing initial reports of terror flowing over the Thai border.

*All but a little bit of Gospels in the 1973 UBS translation survive the Genocide.

1978 (Dec) – Vietnam Invades From the East

Pol Pot’s insane attacks on innocent people in villages along the Vietnam border enrage the Vietnamese into invading. Vietnam & China no longer speak so there is no hesitation.  Cambodians flee across both Thai and VN borders thinking, ‘anywhere must be better than here.’  The bulk of the refugees flee to the Thai border areas near Poipet, Pailin, Battambang.

According to Rev. Ellison, out of the 33 CEC (C&MA Nat. Churches) pastors/church leaders, 27 were martyred or killed by forced starvation under Pol Pot.  He estimates 8000 Christians from Phnom Penh perished as well.

Half  to one million died of starvation during the first year of the Vietnam invasion.

1979 –Heng Samrin , Hun Sen, Chea Sim

World Vision comes back into Cambodia through Stan Mooneyham’s unique talk with Hun Sen. Work on the Pediatric Hospital Begins.  Enter MCC , Church World Service, Unicef,  AFSC, OXFAM, COER,  LWS, etc.

1979 –Heng Samrin , Hun Sen, Chea Sim

World Vision comes back into Cambodia through Stan Mooneyham’s unique talk with Hun Sen. Work on the Pediatric Hospital Begins.  Enter MCC , Church World Service, Unicef,  AFSC, OXFAM, COER,  LWS, etc.

1979 –1993, The Thai Border Camps

Site – 8 (DK).   Site B- (Func.).  Site 2 – KPNLF. Nong Chhan –KPNLF.  Khao I. Dang- Neutral.  Phnom Chaat – DK.  Bung Ampill – DK

Many fled to the Thai border where the Thai quickly set up refugee camps. The Thais were overwhelmed by this and in desperation tricked a couple hundred Khmer refugees into boarding a bus for BKK then to the US .  They took them up north and dumped them off a cliff into a mind field. Many lay for days among their own filth and body parts of loved ones as they tried to move through the minefield. Anyone trying to climb back up the cliff was gunned down with automatic weapons and M-60 machine gun fire. This was all to tell the International Community, ‘we refuse do this alone’!

Khao I Dang (KID) became the biggest of the camps, sporting 150,000 Cambodian refugees. This became the second biggest city in Thailand .  As Phnom Penh in the early ’70’s was a vehicle for the spread of the Gospel, so were the camps. Many people came to Christ in the camps through other Christian refugees, through CMA, World Vision, World Relief YWAM, Southern Baptists, OMF, COR and the other Christian Groups who ministering there. This was the platform which enabled many of today’s overseas church leaders to be expatriated to a third country where they were sponsored by a church, converted and went on to Bible college.  Many have come back to Cambodia to serve and plant churches. Most Khmer in America had at one time been in Khao I Dang. Refugees in other camps like Site 2 or Site B, etc, ended up being repatriated to Cambodia in 1992-93. There were many valid conversions in the camps.  As many as were lost during Pol Pot were filtering back from the camps.

There were Catholic organization doing some effective relief work in the camps like COER or CARE, etc.

Not much seemed to be  going on inside Cambodia from ‘79 to ‘85 or so concerning the church but we know that the Holy Spirit was preparing people on the outside, in the camps and certainly with in Cambodia for a great new work of the Spirit.  Some Christian staff at WV-Cambodia were having an influence through their testimony and some key Cambodians came to the Lord then.

Hun Sen’s State of Cambodia  continued to fight, with the help of Vietnam , against 3 factions who were entrenched along the Thai border in the mountainous terrain.  They were the KPNLF ( Old Lon Nol Republic ), FUNCINPEC (Royalists) and the Khmer Rouge.  The United States did not recognize Hun Sen’s government in the United Nations but instead recognized the Khmer Rouge representative. The United States supported the Khmer Rouge in the war against Hun Sen’s Vietnamese backed government with arms and intelligence up until the 1991 Paris Peace Accords.

Meanwhile, in France (1985)

The New Translation Committee in 1985, upon the suggestion of the French Bible Society, chose to begin a new work apart from the work begun in 1973 by the UBS  because only the first four chapters of Matthew survived the Khmer Rouge Holocaust.  Fr. Ponchaud, who had helped with the New Translation as an exegete, took the remaining chapters of Matthew to France and produced a Roman Catholic Translation which the UBS rejected because it contained much too much Buddhist terminology.  After meetings in France in January and April of ‘85, a new committee of four was proposed by Rev. Norman Ens (CMA),  and formed.  That committee was made up  of Rev. Arun Sok Nhep, Father Francois Ponchaud, Mr. Prom Chan and Mr. Sokhom Chhoung.  Many other nationals and expatriates were included in the revision work.  Here were a group of people who saw the opportunity to make a better translation for the believer and unbeliever alike.  They now had the resources: Better manuscripts, modern translation methods, straight from the original languages, Khmer stylists, Khmer revisionists,  all well educated and mature in the faith.  One can only appreciate their hard work and initiative.  

Meanwhile, in France (1985)

The New Translation Committee in 1985, upon the suggestion of the French Bible Society, chose to begin a new work apart from the work begun in 1973 by the UBS  because only the first four chapters of Matthew survived the Khmer Rouge Holocaust.  Fr. Ponchaud, who had helped with the New Translation as an exegete, took the remaining chapters of Matthew to France and produced a Roman Catholic Translation which the UBS rejected because it contained much too much Buddhist terminology.  After meetings in France in January and April of ‘85, a new committee of four was proposed by Rev. Norman Ens (CMA),  and formed.  That committee was made up  of Rev. Arun Sok Nhep, Father Francois Ponchaud, Mr. Prom Chan and Mr. Sokhom Chhoung.  Many other nationals and expatriates were included in the revision work.  Here were a group of people who saw the opportunity to make a better translation for the believer and unbeliever alike.  They now had the resources: Better manuscripts, modern translation methods, straight from the original languages, Khmer stylists, Khmer revisionists,  all well educated and mature in the faith.  One can only appreciate their hard work and initiative.

Meanwhile, Around the World (1986-87)

Anyone who was interested in Cambodia on this globe was sensing that the door would soon come creaking open. In response to such a unified feeling, people began to prepare mentally and physically.  Both Cambodians and Christians from other nations met together and created CCS or Cambodia Christian Services.  Once the door opened, CCS would open an office and help facilitate Christian Mission groups or Relief and Development organizations get in touch with the needs and proper people on the inside. It was an umbrella organization made of believers from the US , Europe , Australia , New Zealand and Asia as well.  Just some of the members were World Vision, YWAM, SAO, AOC, S.U., World Concern, World Relief, FEBC , C & MA, AOG,  CMC, ZOA Refugee, MAF, just to name a few. 

CCS had individual members from the Southern Baptists (CSI), and other denominations which felt they could not join as denomination on a whole.  CCS had many organizations on the outside unified in their goal to bring the good news into Cambodia when the door opened.

The underground church movement was picking up momentum as well. House churches were meeting in secret and many Christians, although a little later, had been part of the New Apostolic Church Cult. They knew the church was a cult but it was not so bizarre that it was able to prevent them from worshipping the true God. Most chucked the New Apostolic Church once Christianity was made legal in 1989, due largely to the efforts of Takmau church, Molly Yos , her family and the pastor of Takmau church, Seing Ang.

1989, The Door Swings Open a Crack

The front door swung open to let the 10,000 or more Vietnam Soldiers who had been occupying Cambodia for 10 years head home and leave Cambodia’s fate to a well indoctrinated Hun Sen, who had fled the Khmer Rouge to Vietnam in late ‘77 early ‘78.  And well, the back door swung open a little, too. And when it did, Christianity was made legal and so were visits by Cambodian Christians who were interested in spying out the land for the Kingdom of God .

The first Cambodian Expatriate Christians through that door were Radha Manickum and Chhon Phan Kong from the USA , both representing Cambodian ministries for Christ. Chhon also came in the name of CCS. CMC is Cambodian Ministries for Christ which is a group of Cambodian Church leaders who are not under the Umbrella of CEC (Cambodia Evangelical Church-CMA).  There association covers Cambodia Churches all over the US and Canada .  Their story was written up in Christianity Today with photos as well.  Other Expatriate Khmer Christians began to make expeditions into Cambodia that year in spite of the war that was still raging in the country-side.

1990

This was my first visit to the Land between the Tiger and Crocodile with Rev. Kong Chhon and the Rev. Sithan Lee. There were about 9 house churches existing in and around PP at that time.  Church leaders I met were Yorng Soth (CMA), Sar Paulerk (Toul Tompong), Eang Chhun (Tonle Basaac), Im Chhrorn (Psa Tmei 1), Khieu Vanlorn (CCC), Taing Nary (CCC), Lav Hourn, Muth Bunthy (Santho Mok). Some other Church leaders I met were Bin David, Ngin Sacrovar, Pen Chin (Kompong Chhnang) and Ung Sophal.

Chhon and Sithan Lee organized a meeting in one of the performing arts centers with about 700 people in attendance near Psa Dam Kor. A gospel message was preached and maybe 30 people came forward. During this trip I taught the youth (ages 16-30 single) while Chhon and Sithan taught pastors and elders.  We met up with Bruce Carlton of CSI, Alice Compain of OMF, Steve Westergren of C& MA and a staff of World Relief who were just getting their work off the ground in 1990.  Westerners and relief worker were followed and thought to be spies.

1991- Paris Peace Accords

The UN perm 5 had brought the 4 fighting factions together to talk about peace which set up the framework for the 1993 elections.

United Bible Society is still working on their new translation.

Church is beginning to grow a little larger. Global Network is growing fast.

Rev. Sithan Lee with Daniel Lamb found the Phnom Penh Bible College with help of Cambodian Ministries for Christ.

1991-92

Enter YWAM, World Concern, SAO, FEBC , AOG, ZOA, SERVANTS and the influx of Christian Mission & Relief and Development organizations begins.  Churches continue to grow and Khmer Christian grow deeper from their exposure to NGO training and discipleship.

In ‘91 CCS opens an office under Radha Manickum, then Chhon Kong takes the mantel in early ‘93.  CCS organizes Cambodia ’s first March for JESUS.

FEBC ’s programs are being made in Cambodia , broadcast from the Philippines back into Cambodia .

1992-93 – The Arrival of United Nations Transitional Authority Cambodia – UNTAC.

• *Refugees from the camps are forced to return to vote in the election.  Enter Barnabas Mam, Nara Runnath, Meas Thavey, Chai Lee, Ke Tha, Min Sor, Uon Seila, Brom Sambo, Ray Sano, etc.
• *The UN arrive en- mass bringing AIDS, pornography, and western culture with a vengeance.
• *A false economy is produced and then inflation followed by recession.
• *UNTAC is a major cow being milked by all.
• *Election see a %90 turnout. FUNCIPEC WINS, SOC loses. 2.2 Billion USD is spent on the elections.
• *SOC cries foul, won’t leave the throne. A coalition government is formed between the two parties.
• *Some Royalist politicians try to secede from Cambodia .  Nice Try.
• *UNTAC goes home but leaves thousands of unwanted mixed race babies in full orphanages of whom most Cambodians are not interested in adopting.
• *Enter Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons.
• *There are about 150 churches and 10,000 believers countrywide.  

1992-93 – The Arrival of United Nations Transitional Authority Cambodia – UNTAC.

• *Refugees from the camps are forced to return to vote in the election.  Enter Barnabas Mam, Nara Runnath, Meas Thavey, Chai Lee, Ke Tha, Min Sor, Uon Seila, Brom Sambo, Ray Sano, etc.
• *The UN arrive en- mass bringing AIDS, pornography, and western culture with a vengeance.
• *A false economy is produced and then inflation followed by recession.
• *UNTAC is a major cow being milked by all.
• *Election see a %90 turnout. FUNCIPEC WINS, SOC loses. 2.2 Billion USD is spent on the elections.
• *SOC cries foul, won’t leave the throne. A coalition government is formed between the two parties.
• *Some Royalist politicians try to secede from Cambodia .  Nice Try.
• *UNTAC goes home but leaves thousands of unwanted mixed race babies in full orphanages of whom most Cambodians are not interested in adopting.
• *Enter Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons.
• *There are about 150 churches and 10,000 believers countrywide.

1994

• UBS finishes the N.T. and Psalms.
• FHI’s Melissa Hime taken captive by the Khmer Rouge for 4 months and then released. Many Christians were praying.
• Continued influx of Christian Missionaries.
• Church Growing
• Mike Evans Crusade in November – Fills the stadium with 100,000 people each night due to promises that all will be healed. Some not all healed and the town riots. Texas – based  Evangelist and registered AOG minister, is barricaded in the Cambodianna Hotel. Crusade cancelled after day 2. Mike Evans is escorted by the military to the airport and put on a plan out.
• Church experiences persecution and some churches are razed and vandalized. Church loses some members.  Mike Evan’s video of the crusade tells us that because of his preaching the church grew from 10,000 to 100, 000 in two days.
• *Global Network begins to decline from association with setting up the crusade.
• *Enter Innerchange. 

1995

• The Cambodian Government is wanting one blanket organization for all Christian’s churches but church associations/organizations lean toward non-unity. The combined problems prompts visit from Dr. Sandararaj of EFA and WEF who begin to lay groundwork for the creation of the EFC. 
• Growing debate over the validity of the New Bible Translation lead by CCC.
• Birth of the Youth Commission under CCS.
• Church recovering from Mike Evan’s Crusade but growing. Keeps a low profile because of the back lash of crusade.
• Government officially acknowledges the constitution of the EFC.

1996

• CCS & WV-C support Cambodia ’s first Christian Bookstore.
• First ever National, Non-denomination Christian Youth Conference held in Kompong Som by the CCS Youth Commission.
• UBS -New Translation is completed in whole, debate still raging.
• CCS folds to give room to the birth of the Evangelical Fellowship of Cambodia.
• Rev. Kong Chhon transitions over to lead EFC as General Secretary.
• Four Councils now represent protestant Christianity to the Government;
• Campus Crusade, Evangelical Fellowship of Cambodia , Kampuchea for Christ and the Southern Baptists.
• Ieng Sary defects to the government and creates autonomous zone in Pailin. 10,000 strong, ex-KR.
• Enter Eastern Mennonite Missions, church planting arm of MCC.
• Graham Chipps arrives to pastor International Christian Fellowship.
• Cambodian Christian Arts Ministry  begins to set up.

1997

Ranaridh tries to cut secret deal for KR surrender to his Royalist troops. He is then caught importing weapons. Phnom Penh sees Coup de tat. Fighting in the streets on July 5&6. Many Missionaries and Christian R & D workers seek refuge in neighboring countries waiting for the word to come back in.  Hun Sen tightens his grip. 40 political assasinations  and one hundred civilians dead.

• Creation of the Baptist Federation – made of Southern and Independent Baptists.
• Rev. Heng Cheng elected as Gen.Sec. of the EFC.
• Church growing in 500 Churches, 20,000 Believers.
• Jaisankar Sarma resigns as WV-C country Director.
• Coup de tat fighting continues in O’smach.
• AOG Missionary’s Testimony heard on Focus for the Family puts Cambodia in the mission lime light again.

1998

• WV-C’s Training of Timothies gets off the ground with Dr. Russ Bower’s arrival.
• Justin Byworth appointed as WV-C country Director.
• Pol Pot arrested by own cadre for murdering Sen Son.
• Pol Pot commits dubious suicide and his body is burned on smoldering tires.
• Anlong Veng is defeated. Surrender of most remaining KR.
• Church is growing, politic keep the government busy.
• Rice Wine Poisoning scare followed by ’98 Elections.  Demonstrations as many claim ballot boxes  were stuffed afterwards.  (WVC day of reflection)

1999

• Ta Mok captured.
• Doch, Toul Sleng Killer has repented. Tells his story to press;  “I’m A Born Again Christian.”  This news rocks the world.  Christopher Lapel made famous.
• Most Khmer Rouge all surrendered. 
• World Relief Engineered CCB ( Cambodia Community Building ) NGO begins to break away with control of close to $600,000 dollars in outstanding credit loans. 
• Church boasting of over 700 churches with up  to 30,000 – 40,000 believers.
• Joint Christmas Celebration in the Stadium with EFC, KFC, CCC and the Baptist Federation in a show of unity.
• Channel 5 invites EFC leaders to explain meaning of Christmas on TV.
• On going debate about the UN tribunal and trial of the Khmer Rouge.
• FHI Vision Conference with Darrow Miller
• David Strong takes over country directorship of C&MA.
• Sue Lloyd and Tammy Fong Open House of Hope in Kompong Cham

2000

• Church has enjoyed 10 years of relative religious freedom.
• 5th Annual National Youth Conference, Sihanoukville.
• Khmer Rouge Tribunal Issue – UN , USA and other Western countries attempt work out a plan for trying former Khmer Rouge cadre.  Hun Sen not willing to try Ieng Sary.
• Cambodian Community Building - Cambodian NGO breaks away from World Relief taking $600,000. USD.in credit loans and equipment such as vehicles, etc. Difficult times for World Relief People.  Catalyst of big rift between Khmer National Church leadership and Foreign Missionaries.
• Christianity Today – Highlights World Relief’s Joke van Opstal and her Children’s Club ministry which appears to be having some of the most successful evangelism.
• Terrorism visits Phnom Penh – In December, alleged Cambodian Freedom Fighters stormed Phnom Penh , blew up a gas station, attached a police barracks and some other ministry buildings.  Eight dead, most of the CFF were captured.  Ring leaders based in California .
• Campus Crusade sees Shake up with leader Taing Vek Houng
• Further National/Expatriate Christian Strife- over management and funding of a Cambodian Christian Orphanage run by Cambodian Christian Christians. 

*2001

• Now almost 1000 churches with close to 60,000 believers (not counting children).

Churches over     150-        10%

Churches around 100-        20%

50-             40%

20-25-            30%

• The Evangelical Fellowship is the largest umbrella group representing Evangelicals to the government.  75% of Cambodia ’s churches are under EFC in 20 provinces and four major cities.
• Six Councils that represent Evangelical Christianity to the government-
  • EFC (Evangelical Fellowship of Cambodia)
  • Cambodian Christian Fellowship (CCF).
  • Cambodian Christian Evangelical Association.
  • Kampuchea Christian Council
  • Cambodian Baptist Convention.
  • Methodist Association of Churches.

*Recent Statistics supplied courtesy of Rev. Heng Cheng, Gen. Sec. of the Evangelical Fellowship of Cambodia.