Serving in Satan's Shadow
A tiny church in a hostile setting reminds us it's the small things that make a difference.
October 1, 2005
Few think of Cambodia as a source of inspirational leadership. The Southeast Asian country has been plagued by poverty, war, and corruption for decades. But since the fall of the Khmer Rouge, whose genocidal reign was depicted in the 1984 film The Killing Fields, the church in Cambodia has been slowly growing and making an impact. We spoke with Dr. Kent Copeland, an American physician working with church planters in Poipet, Cambodia, about the challenges of ministry in such a place. Poipet has been called the "Wild West" of Cambodia. What's the city like? It's full of vices like prostitution, drugs, and gambling. Most disturbing is the child sex industry. A person can literally buy a child on the street for $25 and take them across the border into Thailand. And of course there is a lot of violence. For example, one murderer killed and robbed over 100 taxi drivers a few years ago. When the police apprehended him, to ensure that justice was done, a gang of taxi drivers took him from the police, beat him badly, tied him with a rope to the back of a moto (motorcycle taxi), and dragged him through town. It's a very tough place. How does a church function in that kind of environment? We belong to a small community of Christians in the ghetto called Peace Village. The church has 35 people and meets in a tiny tin shack, but they have a real passion for their neighbors. One man in the church owns a motorcycle with a sidecar. He takes people to the hospital 50 kilometers away—a service most drivers in Poipet charge for. But he doesn't, and he's very poor. He's lucky to make $2.50 a day. He told the community, "If you need to go the hospital and you don't go, don't blame the church because I'm here for you." These are the kinds of ...
Please complete one of the following:
If you're a Leadership journal subscriber...
...but have not yet registered for online access to CTLibrary.com, you can receive a full-year's access for just $29.95!
Register Here | | If you're NOT a Leadership journal print subscriber...
You're entitled to a special, introductory offer for new subscribers only! Subscribe now and receive a one-year Leadership journal print subscription and one-year access to all Leadership archives for just $39.95!
Subscribe now!
When you log in as a Leadership Journal subscriber, you'll see additional articles noted as premium content only available to CTLibrary.com members. To access the entire CTLibrary requires a CTLibrary subscription. If you would prefer this option, select the offer below that best fits your needs.
|
Like the preview? To read this complete article
and 18,013 more in the archive—JOIN NOW!
Easily find high-quality, well-researched materials that provide a Christian perspective on topics ranging from headlines to history.
Start using this invaluable tool TODAY for preparing your Bible studies, presentations, class lectures, sermons, meetings, and more.
|
It's easy and quick to join:
Brought to You by Christianity Today Int'l |  |
|
| 
Find similar articles
E-mail this page
