Christian religion comes to Cambodia

Cambodian village is about to take baptism

The history of the Cambodian church is a story of periods of growth alternating with periods of persecution. Cambodians who have believed in Jesus Christ and turned from Buddhism or animism have been accused of betraying their country.

In 1555, Gaspar da Cruz brought the gospel to Cambodia, Mallacca’s priest from Domican republic.

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 Year Zero. 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.