Equipping a Resilient Church in Cambodia

The history of evangelical Christianity in Cambodia is one of perseverance and revival. Christianity was introduced in 1923, and the church grew slowly due to the deeply ingrained Buddhist culture. In the 1960s, it had a small but faithful presence. Then, by 1970, there were around 10,000 evangelical believers, and the church began expanding.

When the Khmer Rouge, a communist political group, took power in 1975, it nearly wiped Christianity out by killing 90% of believers. Churches were destroyed, and many Christians were executed or sent to forced labor camps. Some believers escaped to other countries and survived in refugee camps.

Cambodian refugees who had converted to Christianity in the camps in Thailand and Vietnam began returning to their homeland. Through God's grace, Cambodian Christians rebuilt their faith community. By the late 1990s, the number of evangelical churches in Cambodia had significantly grown, aided by increased religious freedom under the new government.

Today, while still a minority religion (around 3% of the population), the evangelical church is growing through CCI's discipleship, church planting, and leadership training. Still, more than 80% of Cambodian pastors have not had formal Bible training. CCI is working to change this statistic by equipping pastors and church leaders to transform lives and communities.

The Khmer people are the majority group in Cambodia, and they mainly practice Buddhism. Despite cultural resistance and Buddhist nationalism, the gospel is advancing among young people and ethnic minorities. The younger generation has been open to new ideas, making them more receptive to the gospel. Similarly, minority communities with animist backgrounds have shown

greater openness to Christianity.

Our Cambodian National Director, Sitha Dourng, came to faith in Christ in 1996 as a teenager after hearing the gospel during a Christmas celebration. As he started attending Bible studies in his village, his Buddhist family rejected him and kicked him out of their home. Despite this, a missionary took him under his wing and discipled him. Eventually, Sitha attended Phnom Penh Bible College to continue his spiritual growth.

Sitha joined CCI in 2011 as the National Director and now leads a team of three Area Coordinators and 21 teachers, equipping 276 students across 23 classes in Cambodia. In 2024, CCI Cambodia conducted 18 seminars on various biblical topics for 738 participants and planted five churches. So far, CCI Cambodia has seen 346 students graduate from CCI training.

CCI Cambodia is currently training in 16 of the 24 provinces in Cambodia. Sitha's vision is to start 15 classes in 2025 and to expand into Pailin, Koh Kong, and Kampong Thom provinces. Please pray for the Lord to bless their efforts.

Growing up in a poor Chinese-Cambodian family in a rural, multi-ethnic community, Sitha developed a deep passion for serving the underprivileged. Under his leadership, CCI Cambodia equips leaders with biblical training and provides practical and spiritual support. This includes distributing water filters, conducting biblical financial seminars, and promoting sustainable living through FAITH Gardens.

In the past year, CCI Cambodia distributed over 100 water filters to the poorest families in the Kbal Tol districts of Siem Reap province. These filters ensure safer drinking water for entire households and an opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

CCI Cambodia also equips communities with biblical financial wisdom through God's Financial Principles (GFP), a seminar developed by Crown Financial Ministries. Many attendees have never been taught what the Bible says about money. This training teaches them about wealth, stewardship, and generosity,

correcting misconceptions about the prosperity gospel and fostering financial freedom rooted in faith-driven decision-making.

Alongside GFP seminars, CCI Cambodia teaches families how to achieve food sufficiency through FAITH (Food Always In The Home) Gardening. This initiative meets both physical and spiritual needs by enabling pastors, churches, and families to grow their own food in limited spaces using containers and hydroponics. As the demand for affordable, nutritious food rise—especially organic produce, which is often too expensive for low-income households—FAITH Gardening provides a practical, sustainable solution for urban and rural communities.

Beyond these efforts, CCI Cambodia continues to expand the Kingdom of God, having planted over 50 churches across the country since 2011.

Dr. David Nelson

Chief Steward and Servant