The history of the Cambodian church is a story of periods of growth alternating with periods of persecution. Cambodians who have turned to Jesus Christ from Buddhism or animism have been
accused of betraying their country.
The first Protestant missionaries arrived in 1923, but by 1970 there were only about 700 Christians in Cambodia. In 1965 Prince Sihanouk had expelled all missionaries in an anti-CIA campaign. Between 1970 and 1975 missionaries were permitted to return and the church grew to about 10,000. Then came the Khmer Rouge take-over. By 1979 only about 200 Christians remained alive in Cambodia.
In 1990, when the church emerged from its most recent wave of persecution and was given government permission to function openly, there were ten evangelical churches in Cambodia. Today
there are over two thousand, with a total membership of perhaps 200,000.
Source: Cambodian Communities Out of Crisis
BIBLE STUDY: 2 Corinthians 4:7-14
PRAISE God that a witness to Christ has survived and grown in this needy nation.
PRAY for revival.
