Mekong Ministry Partners

River of Life Church, Cambodia

Planting churches and helping the needy with clean water and animal projects in Cambodia

Leadership

Mony Mok narrowly escaped death during the reign of the Khmer Rouge. After fleeing Cambodia as a young man, he spent months in a refugee camp in Indonesia where he heard the Gospel for the first time and put his faith in Christ. He would later come to America, but his burden for Cambodia never left him despite losing his entire family of nine members in the killing fields. Today he serves as the Director and Senior Pastor of the River of Life Church. He is married to Kunnary.

Ministry Vision & Strategy

Partners International works with the River of Life Church-Cambodia (RLCC), the nation’s largest indigenous church network, with the goal of planting churches throughout the nation’s 24 provinces. In 2006, RLCC reached its goal of planting one church in every province, and is now focusing on equipping believers and planting daughter churches and reaching into the nearby nations of Vietnam and Laos.

Church Planter's Family Blessed by Monthly Support

“My name is Saran Tak. I am one of the church planters in Prey Veng Province. I am blessed to serve the Lord in my region. My vision is to help plant more churches in my area. The monthly support I have been receiving from you helps meet my family’s daily needs.

Therefore, I can focus on proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Thank you so much for blessing me with monthly support to expand God’s Kingdom in my province.”

Context

Cambodia continues to recover from a 30-year civil war that culminated in the killing fields of the Khmer Rouge in 1975-79. Since the 15th century, Buddhism has been the dominant religion. The Khmer Rouge sought to eliminate all religion, as well as the educated and those who had contact with the West. The regime killed most Christians and 90 percent of the Buddhist monks. This holocaust cost nearly two million lives, leaving behind deep physical and emotional scars.

Christians suffered until the 1990s when Cambodia finally abandoned communism. Though there is still persecution of Christians, they are allowed to meet openly for worship.

In 1990, when Christianity was legalized, there were only 20 known churches attended by 2,000 Christians. Traditionally a Buddhist culture, after the war Cambodians recognized that neither the Buddha nor socialism had saved them and so with increasing freedoms from the government, people became more open to the Good News. Today, there are an estimated 130,000 Cambodian believers.

In Phnom Penh, the River of Life Church-Cambodia (RLCC) began as one small local fellowship. Through the power of the Holy Spirit many people became followers of Christ and only a decade later RLCC had planted 220 churches. In the last two years however the Cambodian government has kept churches from being registered and many small church extensions have been absorbed back into their registered mother church. As a result, today, RLCC has 123 fully authorized churches in Cambodia.

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Your gift to River of Life Church, Cambodia will touch many lives with the real hope of God's love.

Investment Opportunities

>CHURCH PLANTER SUPPORT: $88 per church planter per month

Church Planter Support, River of Life

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The heart of RLCC’s ministry is the evangelization of Cambodia. Phase one of their vision was accomplished in 2006 when they planted a church in each of Cambodia’s 24 provinces. Phase two involves strengthening the existing churches and multiplying them to plant a church in each county.

Almost all of RLCC’s churches would be considered house churches however they estimate that at least 30% of these churches meet under a tree or somewhere out in the open without a house big enough to hold them. The local believers have a real heart for helping the poor and actively participate in local development projects such as livestock, wells and agriculture that improve the lives of their neighbors and community members.

It is not easy to plant even one church, and the task requires church planters who are well-trained. The ministry has volunteer workers who are mostly farmers who help in their local areas, as well as part-time workers who earn their living through farming or other means and receive a small stipend. But, RLCC’s leadership and Partners know how important it is to have full-time workers who are gifted in ministry and who can supervise and coordinate the work, as well as train others. Your gifts are needed to supplement the salaries of 40 church planters.

>TRAINING WORKERS: $63 per trainee

Training Workers, River of Life

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In addition to supporting church planters, it is essential to train Christian leaders—pastors and laity. This year, RLCC holds three leadership training conferences that will each equip 100 leaders and potential pastors to become strong in God’s Word. Leaders will mature in their Christian walk and in leading the people of God. These conferences provide a time when pastors, church planters, and lay leaders can gather to encourage one another.

Training topics change as needed throughout the year and by request of the pastors. A 2010 training event focused on encouraging the pastors to be strong in the Lord, to stand firm in good leadership, care for the flocks, and share life experiences with one another as Scripture reminds us in (John 21:15-17). The role and qualification of pastor and elder were discussed and taught from the Biblical and practical views. We encouraged all leaders to spend more times in receiving the Word from God by devotion and studying the scripture and to teach the people of His Word.

Ministry leader Rev. Mony Mok says, “Many new converts would have lost their way in the world if there was no one to help them in their faith. They need help in learning everything about church life, from understanding the Scriptures to how to lead worship. Church planters provide this foundation from which new believers can grow.” Gifts to this project will provide 300 leaders an opportunity to attend this five-day training event.

>MOTORBIKES FOR CHURCH PLANTERS: $1,500 each

Motorcycles, River of Life

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The work of evangelism requires travel. Often one church planter is responsible for visiting dozens of families spread throughout a broad area. The distance between them is too great to go on foot, is exhausting, and wastes time that the church planter could use for ministry. Others are working in several villages at a time. With limited public transportation in the nation, there is a critical need for modes of travel that are both reliable and affordable. Motorbikes, which are economical and easy to maintain, are the ideal answer. “I am a pastor of the River of Life Church in Kampot province,” said Phy Pen. My heart is full of joy to see the Gospel continue to reach more people in this area. It was a blessing to receive a motorbike from Partners International, which enables me to travel further to the remote villages to preach the Gospel and to plant more churches in this province.