100 YEARS OF GOD’S FAITHFULNESS
In 1923, the French colonial government decided they would not permit Protestant missionaries into Cambodia. Rev. Arthur Hammond of the Christian and Missionaries Alliance (C&MA) visited the governor and asked permission to commence mission work in Cambodia. The interim governor said, “If you want to preach the Gospel here in Cambodia, I have no reason to stop you. You will not succeed, but you can try, if you like.” That year, Rev. Hammond and his wife, Esther, became the first Protestant missionaries, followed by Rev. David Ellison and his wife, who joined them later and started work immediately, including Bible translations. Forty years later, Khmer evangelical church members numbered less than 1,000. When relationships with the West deteriorated because of Cambodia’s stand on communism, all foreign missionaries were expelled and nearly all churches closed.
Still, by God’s grace and mercy, the Cambodian church remained resilient and has survived many trials and testing. Satan tried to wipe out the Christians in Cambodia during Year Zero, declared by the Khmer Rouge on 17 April 1975 on their takeover of Cambodia, to signify a rebirth of Cambodian history. Over one million Cambodians were murdered during that dark period. There were 10,000 Protestant Christians but, by 1979, only a few hundred were left; six of the seventeen Cambodian pastors and evangelists survived.
Today, Khmer Christians are estimated at 3% (from Khmer Christian leaders in Cambodia) of the 16.8 million population; the Church continues to grow. Praise God! This year 2023, the Protestant Church in Cambodia will celebrate its 100th anniversary. All denominations will come together to celebrate God’s faithfulness through the years. Khmer Christians will have a day of intercession on 26 January; 27 and 28 January will be days of celebration. There will be historical and cultural fairs during the day and continuous worship led by different denominations in the evening. Expected attendance is 30,000 - 50,000 people at the Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center in Phnom Penh. Khmer Christian diaspora and other foreign guests will join the celebration. Prime Minister Hun Sen of the Cambodian People’s Party has accepted the Church’s invitation to grace this momentous event.
Let us join the Cambodian churches in celebrating God’s work in this harvest field. Cambodia is still 95% Buddhist. There is an excellent potential of reaping more in this fertile ground. Pray that they will gain more favor as they continue the work of the ministry. Pray for Christian unity and wisdom to plan for more souls to be added to His Kingdom.
“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church,
and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
