By Mark Kelly
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Baptist Press)--God has blessed Baptist work in Cambodia -- with 304 churches started since 1993 -- but partnership is needed for the work to move forward, the president of Cambodia's Baptist Union said.
Nivath Nhem, who was re-elected in 2010 for a second five-year term as president of the Cambodia Baptist Union, traveled to the United States in August to explore prospects for church-to-church partnerships that would help advance a visionary plan to start 1,621 new congregations in next five years. He was hosted by Albert W. Wardin Jr., emeritus professor of history at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn.
"We want to see every person in Cambodia accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord," Nhem told Baptist Press in a mid-August interview. "The goal of the Cambodia Baptist Union is to reach Cambodia with the Gospel of Jesus Christ by planting churches throughout Cambodia."
Nhem led Cambodia's congregations to set a goal of reaching all 13,871 villages in the country and has challenged each church to reach that goal by starting a new church each year. He also has led them to establish goals of expanding the union's program of pastor training and starting general education schools for the nation's children.
"We need partners if the work is going to move forward," Nhem said. "We know these goals are inspiration from the Lord. There is openness to the Gospel in our country right now. We cannot delay because the door may close at any time. We must take advantage of this openness, but we need partners to do that."
Like neighboring Vietnam and Laos, Cambodia has a communist government and is traditionally Buddhist, but right now Cambodia is the country that is more open, Nhem said.
"Cambodia is more soft than hard," Nhem said. "The people are more open to the Gospel. There are some restrictions on our work, but the Baptist union is recognized by the government."
Thavy Nhem, a believer who is a member of Cambodia's parliament, helped start Baptist work in the country and still is an adviser to the Baptist union, which was organized in 1995. The union has had a strong emphasis on church planting since its inception, and now has churches in 17 provinces of the country's 24 provinces. Its 304 congregations have 13,238 members, and 50 of them have permanent facilities. The union operates pastor training schools in the capital, Phnom Penh, and two provinces, and wants to expand the training to five provinces in the next five years.
"We want to see the church grow and be established all over Cambodia. We want to see believers and churches be a blessing for Cambodia," Nhem said. "Our mission is for Cambodia to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God, that He is salvation when people accept Him as their Lord and Savior.
"If anyone feels led by the Spirit of God," Nhem said, "we invite them to partner with us."
In the meantime, Nhem requested prayer for the Baptist union's plans in starting churches and schools, and that they would be able to establish the physical facilities needed for progress. He also requested prayer for adequate finances and for the Lord to lead congregations into five-year church-to-church partnerships.
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Mark Kelly is an assistant editor with Baptist Press. Nivath Nhem can be contacted by e-mail at cbcambodia@yahoo.com. The Cambodia Baptist Union on the Internet at
www.cambodiabaptistunion.com.
Nivath Nhem, who was re-elected in 2010 for a second five-year term as president of the Cambodia Baptist Union, traveled to the United States in August to explore prospects for church-to-church partnerships that would help advance a visionary plan to start 1,621 new congregations in next five years. He was hosted by Albert W. Wardin Jr., emeritus professor of history at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn.
"We want to see every person in Cambodia accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord," Nhem told Baptist Press in a mid-August interview. "The goal of the Cambodia Baptist Union is to reach Cambodia with the Gospel of Jesus Christ by planting churches throughout Cambodia."
Nhem led Cambodia's congregations to set a goal of reaching all 13,871 villages in the country and has challenged each church to reach that goal by starting a new church each year. He also has led them to establish goals of expanding the union's program of pastor training and starting general education schools for the nation's children.
"We need partners if the work is going to move forward," Nhem said. "We know these goals are inspiration from the Lord. There is openness to the Gospel in our country right now. We cannot delay because the door may close at any time. We must take advantage of this openness, but we need partners to do that."
Like neighboring Vietnam and Laos, Cambodia has a communist government and is traditionally Buddhist, but right now Cambodia is the country that is more open, Nhem said.
"Cambodia is more soft than hard," Nhem said. "The people are more open to the Gospel. There are some restrictions on our work, but the Baptist union is recognized by the government."
Thavy Nhem, a believer who is a member of Cambodia's parliament, helped start Baptist work in the country and still is an adviser to the Baptist union, which was organized in 1995. The union has had a strong emphasis on church planting since its inception, and now has churches in 17 provinces of the country's 24 provinces. Its 304 congregations have 13,238 members, and 50 of them have permanent facilities. The union operates pastor training schools in the capital, Phnom Penh, and two provinces, and wants to expand the training to five provinces in the next five years.
"We want to see the church grow and be established all over Cambodia. We want to see believers and churches be a blessing for Cambodia," Nhem said. "Our mission is for Cambodia to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God, that He is salvation when people accept Him as their Lord and Savior.
"If anyone feels led by the Spirit of God," Nhem said, "we invite them to partner with us."
In the meantime, Nhem requested prayer for the Baptist union's plans in starting churches and schools, and that they would be able to establish the physical facilities needed for progress. He also requested prayer for adequate finances and for the Lord to lead congregations into five-year church-to-church partnerships.
------
Mark Kelly is an assistant editor with Baptist Press. Nivath Nhem can be contacted by e-mail at cbcambodia@yahoo.com. The Cambodia Baptist Union on the Internet at
www.cambodiabaptistunion.com.
10 comments:
And the same Nhem broup is corrupt and run teh foredt to the ground. This is the Nguon Nhel CPP gang. Now they are destroying Khmer religion.
11:04AM,
Nop, the Khmer religion detroyed itself between 1975 to 1979, under KR. It is self destructive with no outside help.
Right now, the Khmer people just have options.
I too am skeptical of this Thavy Nhem.
2:28 you shit head only your mother was destroy herself between 1975 and 1979!
Khmer people alway have choice in religion not just now!
I too sure you are stupid son of a bitch!
3:03pm get this: when you throw dirt at someone you will be the first to get dirty. And you'll probably miss your target too. [credits to Ravi Z.]
We do have our religion since generation and it belongs to us & our Khmer people. We only have to promote and care our own.
Why we need to have another one, are we so stupid, did not really know "wrong and wright."
Alot of people go to church just to get help but they dont believe in jesus , they still believe in Buddha .
Please, don't rape teenagers..
When Sihanouk was in charge of Cambodia, he greatly restricted outside religion from coming in.
Times has changed, and so has the faith of many Cambodian people. In regard to religion, you can say Hun Sen is more open than Sihanouk. Which is a good thing.
If you are good at cursing people on this blog, keep cursing. You can be creative while you're at it. All it shows is that you are a brainless moron with no intelligent vocabulary.
When it comes to religion, there will be Cambodians who will come to know the truth and the truth will set them free.
We Khmer are Buddhist. Cambodia is a Buddhist country for hundred of years.
Buddha's teaching that will guide Khmer people to the right way. Haven't the world noticed that Cambodia is leading the world in the right path all these years?
Yes, we Khmer people are peace loving. We don't have genocide of Jews like in Germany or anything like that. We never curse people on KI-Media.
Yes, our people in government is the least corrupt in the world thanks to the great teaching of Buddha. Yes, our society take care of our own people.
Yes, Buddhism is the way for Cambodia for the next thousand years!
Have you ever seen two cambodian christian from different churches arguing about who's interpretation of the bible is the only truth?
And telling each other that jesus in on their respective side!
pathetic ...
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