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| The Cambodian Church | | Print | |
The Cambodian Church's History Like most Southeast Asian Countries, Cambodia is traditionally Buddhist mixed with animism. It was not until 1923 that the first evangelical Christian missionaries entered the land, although Roman Catholicism had been introduced in the 1500s. Early missionaries experienced considerable opposition from Cambodian people, who believed turning from Buddhism to Christianity was an act of betrayal to country and culture. This view is still held today although attitudes are gradually relaxing, helped by substantial and appropriate development assistance provided by many Christian organisations on a voluntary basis from all around the world. During World War II, despite the scattering and imprisonment of missionaries by the Japanese, the Church doubled in size. After 1947, when freedom of religion was encouraged, the Gospel spread to most parts of the country, with Cambodian pastors being trained and Christian literature published. Following cessation of diplomatic relations with the West in the 1960s, missionaries had to leave and Cambodian evangelical Church leaders were ordered to close their churches. Christian meetings were held in secret. In 1970 the government was overthrown in a coup which paved the way for freedom of religion. The next five years saw revival, with thousands coming to faith in Jesus. Christian life for many, however, was short lived. In 1975 the Khmer Rouge came to power and Christians were one of the main groups targeted for execution. The Church survived, though desperately weakened and fragmented. Their troubles did not end with the Vietnamese invasion and liberation of Cambodia in 1979. There were only about 1,000 evangelical Christians left and they had to meet in secret due to persecution. In 1990, following Vietnam's departure, religious freedom was restored. |
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| Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 June 2009 20:27 |