What's been the history of the church's work in Cambodia?
The church first entered Cambodia in 1930; the first local congregation was formed in 1958. Since then the work has been extremely sporadic, and many records of it have been destroyed.

What involvement, if any, did our church maintain during the years of civil war and the Khmer Rouge's rule?
There was no church here at that time. Everybody who could get out of the country did so. The present church arose from the refugee camps in Thailand where Adventists were working. After the war, refugees gradually returned. In 1992 the church started again from virtually nothing.

What is the continuing legacy of those years as it affects the work of the church?
Scars remain in people's minds and hearts. Everyone you speak to lost someone during those years. There is still tremendous pain below the surface of people's lives. Some of our current pastors and workers used to be soldiers. There is still a lot of strong feeling against the Vietnamese occupation that followed the Pol Pot regime.

What has been the progress of the church in Cambodia since that time?
The church has grown by leaps and bounds, currently growing at about 25 percent per year. We have a very good central church in Phnom Penh with the mission office. A grade school, 1-12, is operating in the capital, with about 200 students, and new facilities are being built for that. International Children's Care has built an orphanage in Kampong Thmar, and we are developing a boarding school alongside that, which we hope will open this coming September. There are about 120 worship groups scattered around the country, but only three established churches. Adventists have entered all but two provinces and 84 out of 180 districts. There are 22 regular pastors and 65 lay Bible teachers.

How many members does the church now have in Cambodia?
About 3,250.

What are the biggest challenges to the church's work in Cambodia?
The biggest challenges involve the worship of ancestral spirits that control the lives of the majority of the people. Satan has a firm grip, and the greatest battles are spiritual. The mixture of Buddhism and animism has a strong control over the people.

What are the restrictions on the church in Cambodia?
Government stability is still necessary for the church to progress easily, but there are mounting pressures against the building of churches, and in some places pastors are forbidden even to visit people's homes. We have to push the work as far and as fast as we can while we have the opportunity.

What are the church's greatest needs?
(1) An educated workforce—this involves finding funds to educate young people as teachers, pastors, and accountants; (2) Khmer literature, to help our members develop spiritually and to help in our outreach; (3) funds for training our personnel and laity; and (4) a praying church.

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Nathan Brown, a freelance writer in Townsville, Australia, is currently working on a doctorate in English.