Christian Church History inCambodia

Presentation by: San Sros (Sarin)About the

Christian Church History in Cambodiaon 06 t h April , 2009

Christian Church History in Cambodia• VITAL STATISTICS AT A GLANCE• 1517-1570 Catholic Missions to Cambodia• 1863-1953 France colonized in Cambodia• 1953-1969 Cambodia Receive Independence

from France• 1969-1975 Advent of Western Lon Nol• 1975-1979 The Pol Pot Regime• 1979-1993 Heng Samrin, Hun Sen and Chea Sim• 1992-1993- The arrival of United Nations

Transitional Authority Cambodia-UNTAC.

Cambodia Map

• Country: Cambodia

• Capital City: Phnom Penh

• Land Area: 181, 035 sq.km (69,898 sq miles) : Water 2.5%

• Population: 14.8 million (UN, 2005)

• Organization of the Cambodian Administration: Provinces: 20, City: 4, Districts: 182, Communes: 1,623, Villages: 13,403

VITAL STATISTICS AT A GLANCE

• Main Language: Khmer • Main Religion: Buddhism (Theravada) • Ethnic group: Khmer, Vietnamese and Chinese minorities • Monetary unit: Riel • Climate: rainy season (May to November) and dry season

(December to April) • Border countries: Laos 541 km, Thailand 803 km, Vietnam

1,228 km

1517-1570 Catholic Missions to Cambodia

• 1517 Was the first Catholic attempt to have influence in Cambodia and didn’t take of well.

• 1570 was the first established presence, first by the Portuguese and the Spanish.

• 1555 Gaspar da Cruz, a Dominican priest, brought the gospel to Cambodia.

• 1863 France colonized Cambodia and during this time, a few more relatives of the king become believers but were not able to be baptized.

• 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.

1863-1953 France colonized in Cambodia

Evangelical Missions to Cambodia

• 1923 the C&MA entered in Cambodia as the first Evangelical Missionaries.

• Re. 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 from the KJV English into a Khmer language (Hammond Version).

• C&MA is responsible for the first Cambodian Bible

• 1923-1965 may be 2000 person converts over those years but the foundation C&MA laid was invaluable for the growth of the Kingdom of God in the near future.

• Kampuchea Krom ( Lower Cambodia inside the Mekong Delta). Among the 2.5 million living in VN’s Mekong Delta became Christians and were being ministered by the C&MA over the years.

• 1954 they were attacked and persecuted by another group and fled to Takeo and Battambang Provinces.

1953-1969 Cambodia Receive Independence from France

• The King Sihanouk was presented with a copy of the recently published Hammond Bible.

• The Bible School is moved from Battambang to Tahkmau, it began to train many new pastor.

• 1965 Winds of Political Change Are Blowing: All western missionary forced to leave by not having their visas renewed.

The Independence Monument, Phnom Penh

• As Sihanouk aligns with China and Vietnam, Western Missionaries are kicked out and the Church leaders are jailed.

• 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 Champuchea Krom people.

1969-1975 Advent of Western Lon Nol

• 1969 Returning C&MA missionaries were surprised to find how well the Khmer Christians were doing without them.

• 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.

• 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 The Church invited Mooneyham to lead a crusade and over 3000 people gave their lives to Christ and some of today’s National Church leaders and Expat Khmer Church leader and overseas were the fruit of that ministry.

• 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 to take over the city.

• Monsignor Francois Ponchaud and the UBS being 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.

• C&MA estimated there were 10,000 Christians in Phnom Penh at the close of 1974, including 1000 Christian Refugees.

1975-1979 The Pol Pot Regime

• Pol Pot Reign of teror 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.

Working during Pol Pot regime (not enough food to eat, working hard, no relationship between husband and wife, between parents and children, between one person to others person...)

Skulls Map of Cambodia

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.

1979-1993 Heng Samrin, Hun Sen and 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 Services, Unicef, AFSC, OXFAM, COER, LWS, etc.

Political/ Military Organizations in Cambodia

• ANS- National Army for Sihanouk, there are the resistance forces loyal to Prince Norodom Sihanouk

• CGDK- Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea, is the loose coalition of the three resistance factions (ANS, DK, and KPNLF) fighting against the VN supported regime in Phnom Penh.

• DK- Democratic Kampuchea also known as the Khmer Rouge regime that was in power in Cambodia from 1975-1978.

• KPNLF- Khmer People’s National Liberation Front, this is the resistance force backed by the United States among other nations associated with Son Sann.

• PRK- People’s Republic of Kampuchea was the regime in control in Phnom Penh. Also know as the “Hun Sen government” or “Heng Samrin government” after the name of the two of the government’s leaders. This government is backed by Vietnam.

• CAMA Services- The Christian and Missionary Alliance Services providing medical services at the Site 8 refugee camp

• CCCC- Cambodia Campus Crusade for Christ serving in Church ministries in Site 2 and Site B

Some organizations working on the Border

• COR- Christian Outreach providing medical and engineering services at Kheo I Dang camp along with medical services at the Site 2 refugee camp

• UNHCR- United Nations High Commission for Refugees, the international organization administrating services to Khmer displaced persons at Khao I Dang.

• YWAM- Youth With A Mission providing agricultural and educational services at Khao I Dang along with medical services at Site 2.

• UNBRO- United Nations Border Relief Operation, the UN agency coordinating services to Khmer Displaced Person at O’ Trao, Site 8, Site 2, Site K, and Site E refugee camps.

• Site B- Located on the border of Surin Province in Thailan and Siem Reap in Cambodia with a population of approximately 56, 800. The administation of Site 6 is allied with ANS, the camp is also known as Green Hill. (5 churches-1Seventh Day Adventist, CCC, Church of Christ).

The churches in the refugee camps

• Site K- Situated on the border of the Trod province in Thailand and Pursat province in Cambodia with 8000 people. The administration of Site K is allied with the KR. (one believer known to live there)

• Site 2- The largest camp on the border between Prachinburi and Oudar Meanchey with a population of approximately 169,000 people. The administration of the camp is allied to the KPNLF. Site 2 it self is divided into separate camps including O’ Bok, Rithysen, Ampil, Samro, Dong Ruk, Nong Chan camps, etc. (10 churches)

• Six churches in Site 2 are affiliated with CCC. A man gifted Cambodian Pastor Mam Barnabas filled the position as the leader of the CCC ministries in Site 2.

• Site 8- Situated along the border of Prachinburi and Battambang, also known in Khmer as Phum Tmey, with a population of approxeimately 39,000 people. The administration of the camp is affiliated with the Khmer Rouge. (one house church)

• Khao I Dang- The church went through an extremely painful split at the end of 1990. The situation is still not clear. Before the split the church numbered between 70 and 80 adults on a sunday morning.

• The KID church has been instrumental in the translation of the Christian literature and the distribution of Christian literature to other places on the border and in Cambodia. The Church had a building, a library and a Sunday school building. It was an unaffiliated, independent church. At KID there was also a Seventh Day Adventist Church and a Catholic Church.

• There was smaller cell groups or house groups known to the Khao I Dang believers or “little churches” through out the camp that met for fellowship once or twice a week.

1992-1993- 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.

• Th UN arrive en- mass bringing AIDS, pornography, and western culture with a vengeance.

• After finish the mission in Cambodia UNTAC goes back 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.

• Why during Pol Pot regime the Christian cannot keep sharing the good news?

Question for discusion

• Why the Christian now is very hard to work with each others?

• Why the Christian in Cambodia growth up so slow?

• How to help Cambodian Christian to growth up well?

The End

Thank very much for your time to listen to my presentation about Christian Church History in Cambodia.