The First Protestant Missionaries

Protestant Christianity became a reality for Cambodians for the first time in 1923. Two couples from the mission organization Christian and Missionary Alliance introduced the concepts presented in the Bible. One of the couples operated out of Battambang and formed a Bible school to train Cambodian pastors. The other couple worked on translating the Bible into Khmer in Phnom Penh.

The Christians Met Persecution

Khmer Christians from South Vietnam began to resettle in Battambang and worked with the missionary couple there. Only five years after the government allowed Christianity into the country, the king raised political opposition to the Bible school. In 1932, the first national persecution of Christianity began with an edict by the king that outlawed evangelism. During this time, some of the Bible school students were arrested and missionaries were forced to leave Kratie province.

Christians Killed By Freedom Fighters

The Bible translation work in Phnom Penh was completed in 1940 but a fully translated Bible was not printed until 1953. Over this time period, there was a slow and steady increase in Cambodian Christians. But during this time, freedom fighters seeking independence from France began to target Christians and Cambodian Christians died for their faith for the first time.

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