|
A Thumbnail Sketch
of Evangelical Cambodian Church
By
Brian M. Maher
Revised
July 2002
--------------------------
*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.
Buddhism
has been the official religion of
Cambodia
since the 12th century, following over a thousand years of the
Brahmin (Hinduism) religion.
Introduction- Much
of the pre- 1975 info is outlined from Rev. Paul Ellison’s Paper on
Cambodian
Church
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;
The
Early
Church
is on Target
In
Syria
, A Nestorian Church Conference with Indo-China reps (450 AD). See
preface.
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
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
Krom
(
Lower Cambodia
inside the
Mekong
Delta)
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.
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
–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,
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.
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
·
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.
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