Methodists in Cambodia

A Pastoral Letter from Bishop Larry Goodpaster

Date: Monday, 20 August 2001 09:42:11 -0500

Subject: A Word from the Bishop

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Greetings sisters and brothers!

Home never looked so good as Friday night when my 90 minute delayed flight from Atlanta flew over the illuminated city of Montgomery. After almost two weeks in SE Asia, and after flying (or waiting in airports) for the previous 36 hours, I was more than ready to see the house on Lancaster Lane. Of course, the lingering effects of jet lag remain with me, but at least I'm back to home and family.

Let me share a few initial, general observations about this trip, which was filled with many surprising experiences in Cambodia and Vietnam. Our visiting group included two other newly elected bishops: Bill Hutchinson and his wife, Kay, from Louisiana; and, Bruce Ough, and his wife, Char, from West Ohio. Also with us were three members from the General Board of Global Ministries staff in New York, and one of the GBGM board members, Cashar Evans from North Carolina. We learned as we departed, that we would be the first three United Methodist bishops to visit Cambodia in recent history.

Our first five days were spent in Cambodia, primarily in the capital city of Phenom Penh. Cambodia is one of the 10 poorest countries in the world, and, for most of the people, each day is a struggle to survive, with hunger and malnutrition quite evident. The country is still living with the consequences of the Pol Pot regime (1975-1979) during which time at least 1.7 million people were killed in an effort to eliminate all outside influences, including religion of any name. Some estimate the number killed as high as 3 million. That tragedy, made known world wide in the motion picture, The Killing Fields, still haunts the people, as many of the members of the Khmer Rouge are still living. Outside the major cities, electricity is not available; there is no internal transportation system (no trains, no bus); the infrastructure is limited.

Yet, the church, particularly the Methodist Church, is alive and thriving.

In the most difficult of circumstances, the pastors and leaders of the church are having a positive impact. Hundreds are making professions of faith, and special ministries focused on children and education are quite impressive. There are more than 100 Methodist churches in Cambodia (48 of them are United

Methodist - the rest are either Korean Methodist or Singapore Methodist or Malaysian Methodist autonomous churches). But there are no ordained clergy, except for our United Methodist missionary, who is an elder in the Western North Carolina Conference. The lay pastors, with very little formal training or education, are out in the villages sharing the gospel and starting churches. They preach primarily about the "living God" (as opposed to the stone statues of Buddha) and God's love shown in Jesus Christ who saves us and prepares us for heaven.

Evangelism is their top priority. When a church is started with a handful of converts, they understand that they have two reasons to exist: one, to grow and expand the body; and, two, to start another church. There are places they call preaching points scattered through the villages, where church members from one place go to share the good news with more people.

Our final three days took us to Vietnam, which is a communist state. The contrast between the two countries was immediately evident when we left the airport in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly, Saigon). There has been considerable investment of foreign capital, and the country is beginning to open its doors and cater to tourists and business people from around the world. But I was constantly reminded that this is still one of the few countries in the world that maintains its commitment to communism.

Our Methodist Church there is an underground, house church, not officially registered with the government. We met with about a dozen of the pastors in a safe restaurant, where we learned that they were even more fearful of trying to register the church (a very complicated process). Then, they told us, the government knows who you are and where you are, and you have to report every time you gather in a group. So, at great risk and with great courage, the gospel is shared, and people are coming to Christ in amazing numbers. House churches are springing up everywhere.

As in Cambodia, evangelism is the number one priority for the church in Vietnam. We drove by one of the house churches, outside the city, on a very narrow, very muddy road. We had met the pastor of this church in our gathering, and knew of his deep commitment. Almost 200 people crowd into that house every Sunday for their five hours of worship and study. He shared with us that the people understand the word sacrifice, and are willing to risk even their lives for their faith in Jesus. I was humbled and inspired by the stories of faith and courage. Another of the pastors told us he had been under house arrest for 19 of the last 26 years because of his faith. During that time, even though under arrest, he had led more than 400 people to Christ.

One story and then I'll close for this week. One of the two churches where we worshiped on Sunday was a 90 minute drive from the city of Phenom Penh, Cambodia. We started on the main, paved road, the one built years ago by the USA, leading from the port to the city. We finally turned off on a dirt and gravel road which led to a small village and ended in the midst of three or four small store fronts. From there a narrow dirt road, more like a path, took us deep into the rural country. The potholes, the ruts, and the washed out ditches made for a very bumpy ride. When our missionary announced that we had arrived, I was not prepared for the view. The church was a small structure with no doors or windows and a tin roof that needed patching. In the bare yard in front of the church, there was one car, a dozen motorbikes and children. We entered for the worship service and were met by a packed house, perhaps 150 people, most of whom were youth and children. Inside the church, a dirt floor. No electricity. No running water. The keyboard providing the music was powered by a car battery. There was congregational singing, children and youth choirs, and a sermon by one of the local pastors. Two hours later, we knew we had been in the presence of God.

I thought about all the churches of the Alabama-West Florida Conference. Carpeted floors and padded pews. Sound systems and air conditioned gyms. Electronic organs and robed choirs. Carefully manicured grounds and paved parking lots. Far too many empty pews on Sunday morning. And, I prayed through tears, Lord, have mercy on us, and forgive us for taking all the blessings we enjoy for granted. Christ, have mercy on us, and teach us to share who we are and what we have. Lord, have mercy on us, and fill us with passion and compassion for all your children.

Grace and Peace!

Bishop Larry M. Goodpaster