As a part of the Christian and Missionary Alliance family, I’m so proud of our approach to preserving the culture of people groups. I just returned from a 12-day trip to Cambodia to see what our Alliance family is doing to bring the gospel to the Cambodian people. I'm excited to share with you about this work of bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to unreached people groups in the region.
Planting the Seed of the Gospel
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” - Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)
In Cambodia, there are 42 different people groups, what we call "nations".
One hundred years ago, in 1923, two couples were the first to bring the gospel to this area, and the work was slow going, complicated by a culture of Buddhism, and animism, which means living to appease evil spirits as a way of life.
After fifty years there were only about 1,000 believers, but from 1970 - 1975 the church grew to 10,000 strong. But then, 1975 - 1979, the Khmer Rouge regime killed about 80% of the Christians, devastating the church and leaving only about 2,000 Christians in the country. Of the 44 Cambodian Alliance pastors, 31 of them died.
Rising Up after Tragedy
Alliance workers running refugee camps in Cambodia reached many people for Christ. Many future pastors and leaders of the KEC (Cambodian Evangelical Church, which is the Cambodian Alliance church) gave their lives to Jesus and were later trained in the United States. Filled with knowledge, skills, and the love of Jesus, they returned to Cambodia to make a great impact on their homeland.
By 1995 the church grew tenfold again, numbering 20,000 souls. And by 2020, the Alliance churches exceeded 300,000!
What It Looks Like in 2024
- 241 churches led by national church pastors who were raised up and trained.
- KEC worship languages: 8
- KEC supported missionaries: 2 (working with the ethnic Lao in the north)
- KEC ordained pastors: 46
- Ministry training center students: 20
- New believer discipleship classes: 471 students in 67 locations
- Theological Education by Extension: 282 students in 43 locations
Alliance Missions Cambodian Field
- 52 International Workers
- From 8 different birth countries
- From 13 different sending agencies
One of the reasons I’m proud to be a part of the Alliance family is the healthy approach of our international workers. Our goal is to share the good news of Jesus, help new followers of Jesus to grow in their walk with Jesus (discipleship), and then to raise up leaders: pastors, missionaries and others that will plant and care for local churches led by leaders from Cambodia.
Preserving Indigenous Culture Is a Priority
The most beautiful work is among the unreached people groups, where our workers are helping to record their tribal languages so that good work of translating the Bible can be accomplished. Some of these languages have never been written, so working carefully to preserve culture and distinctive aspects of each people group is a top priority. While the Cambodian government urges these groups to simply assimilate and use the Cambodian language, our workers are doing their best work with ethnic minorities. Preserving their unique language might be the only way these cultures will retain their identity. There is an international worker specifically working to retain the music of each people group and leverage it for the message of the gospel, along with unique dance and other storytelling.
Still, there are many people groups in Cambodia where there is no known believer in Jesus. In the past two months, the first baptisms among the ethnic Lao in the north occurred. They baptized nine people, and the work is being led by a couple from a different people group in the south – the first KEC missionaries to be sent out. Partnership in Bible translation is important and some of these groups only have part of the Bible translated.
One of the ways that the Alliance has gained favor is through the continued “medical missions” that have been ongoing. Last week we were at the dedication of a new health center that was built with funds from an Alliance church on the East coast. The provincial governor was on hand and our Alliance field director David Manfred spoke to a group of 500 people. David explained that while Cambodians:
“Do good to get good” (Buddhist concept of Karma), we Christians “Do good because we have already received good from God.”
The event made national news and the church is growing in favor. Some years ago, the prime minister even appointed an Alliance pastor named His Excellency, Ernest Ung.
While some see “missions” as culture destroying practice, I have seen with my own eyes the love of culture, care to preserve language, music, and dance, and empowering of national leaders in Cambodia. Even former Khmer Rouge leaders who have come to Christ are faithfully serving Jesus and leading others. Jesus is healing a land that was broken by the hammer of a Marxist regime that killed up to 2 million of the 7 million people who lived there. The hope of the gospel of life to the fullest both now and forever is sweeping across a land that is hungry for purpose, meaning and hope for eternity. Here at Neighborhood Church, we are proud to be a strategic partner of the Cambodian field, and celebrate the good work of our friends working there!
We invite you to come worship with us at Neighborhood Church in Chico.
Our Sunday Morning Worship Service is at 10:00 a.m. in the Dome.
You can also live stream our service on Facebook and YouTube at 10:00 a.m.
You will find all our blogs, podcasts, and Sunday services and messages on our website ncchico.org which you can access at any time. Sunday messages are under the Media tab. Blogs and podcasts are listed under Pastor Andrew's Corner.
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