|TOP|A successful experiment in Methodist mission collaboration has led to the planting of a new autonomous Methodist Church in Cambodia.

Methodist mission partners in Asia, Europe and the United States worked together with Cambodians to set up the new church which has 172 congregations.

The church, which has been open since autumn this year, is the direct result of the work of the Methodist Mission set up by the participating groups in the country in 2002.

“The Methodist Church in Cambodia will continue to have the encouragement and support of the mission partner organisers,” said the Rev. Dr. David Wu, an executive with the Evangelisation and Church Growth unit of the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries.

|QUOTE|“At the same time, the new Church will select its own leaders, train its pastors, and assume the other duties of a denomination in its cultural and historical setting,” he said.

Prior to the founding of the united Methodist Mission in 2002, there were several Methodist groups working in the country independently – the Korean Methodist Church, the Methodist Mission of Singapore, the World Federation of Chinese Methodist Churches, the United Methodist mission unit of France and Switzerland, and the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries.

“By unifying our efforts we have been able to move faster and more effectively toward a nationwide Methodist presence in Cambodia,” explained Dr Wu.

|AD|At a special event held on 2 September under the motto of Psalm 127:1, “Unless the Lord Builds the House”, three Cambodian elders were ordained and appointed by bishops from the five mission partner agencies as superintendents of three of the seven projected districts.

The new Cambodian elders, the Reverends Lun Sophy, Troenung Chan Bony and Hem San, are among 163 Cambodian pastors, plus missionaries, several of whom will serve as “missionary superintendents”, who will work in mission and pastoral care across the country.

“The pastors in each of the Districts are beginning to know and work with each other, as before they were separated by relationships with their sponsoring agency,” said the Rev. William Warnock, one of the missionary superintendents. “This is a God-given step forward.”

He added: “Efforts are also underway to unify and strengthen the ministries of education, healing, and hope among the people of the Kingdom of Cambodia.”

The new Methodist Church covers an already existing Bible School for the training for pastors, as well as new organisations for youth and women.