THE BIRTH OF KORK RORKA METHODIST CHURCH, CAMBODIA

by: GBGM-UMC Cambodia

 Nong Savath

One afternoon, in the year 2011, in Bosre Mok, a village in the province of Prey Veng in Cambodia, the pastor and his wife, Nong Savath received the awaited news that a member of their church had finally delivered her baby at the nearest provincial clinic.  Because the pastor was unavailable to visit right then, his wife Savath rode her motor bike to the provincial clinic which was several kilometers away from the church.

While in the clinic celebrating the precious moment of childbirth, another mother, whose name Savath learned was Yung Hoy, drew Savath’s attention.  Yung Hoy’s daughter was in the clinic needing more than the usual medical attention, and Yung Hoy was anxious about his daughter and was crying.  When Savath asked Yung Hoy if she knew Jesus, she said she did because of the earlier witness of her friends in Phnom Penh, but she also confided that until that point in time the rest of her family in the village was not Christian. Savath then offered to pray to Jesus for the healing of Yung Hoy’s daughter.  At the end of the prayer, Yung Hoy invited Savath to visit her home and family in the village. In turn, Savath invited Yung Hoy to attend worship at their church in the village of Bosre Mok. Yung Hoy did so in the ensuing weeks. 

Kdang Hen (center) her daughter (left) and Romy

A month later, Savath visited Yung Hoy’s village and spent the night in Yung Hoy’s family’s home.  Among the family members she met for the first time ever that night was the family's great grandma, Kdang Hen who, at that time, was 103 years old.  That night, Kdang Hen received Christ into her life.  In the coming days and months, Kdang Hen and her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren became the very first members of the church that grew out of that initial visit of Savath to that family.  They became a "house church" that met regularly for Bible study, prayer and worship under the leadership of Savath and that later moved into a temporary shelter built with the help of Cambodian United Methodist women. 

 Kork Rorka House Church

Eventually, other relatives and village people were also won to Christ through the ministry of this new church, and once again, it outgrew its facility.  Church members realized that they needed to relocate to another facility built on their own land.  Savath, who happens to be the President of the district Cambodian Methodist Women, rallied the support of the Cambodian Methodist women at the district and national level and the support of Cambodian United Methodist women, and raised $1700 to buy a parcel of land 60 meters by 27 meters in the village.  

Jeong-Ae's son (left) and husband (right) at the dedication of the 

new sanctuary for the Kork Rorka Methodist Church

An elderly Korean Methodist woman by the name of Jeong-Ae Hong eventually heard about the initiative and effort of the Cambodian Methodist women, and promptly offered to shoulder the cost of the new sanctuary--8 meters by 16 meters costing $25,000.  The new sanctuary for the Methodist Church in Kork Rorka village was dedicated on April 10, 2014.  The family of Kdang Hen was present, including Kdang Hen herself who last year was 106 years old. Also present were the village chief, the commune chief, and the village folk who have since become members of Kork Rorka Methodist Church. Jeong-Ae Hong passed away in November 2013. Her son and husband were present at the dedication. 

The new sanctuary for the Kork Rorka Methodist Church