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CMBS: GOD’S INSTRUMENT OF EMPOWERMENT!

Carol Ong, MMS Missionary in Cambodia, and Juliette Arulrajah, MMS Area Director of Cambodia.

All praise and thanks be to the Lord for the many children of God who have answered the Lord’s call to shepherd His flock and undergo training to be equipped through the Cambodia Methodist Bible School (CMBS) to build and grow the family of God in Cambodia through the sharing of the gospel and disciple-making.

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CMBS was started in November 1997 by Rev Dr Song Jin Sup, a missionary from South Korea. He saw and recognised the crucial need to equip elders and pastors “for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:12) With support from South Korea, a plot of land was purchased to build the school. Construction was completed in November 1999, after which it was officially inaugurated and recognised by the Ministry of Cults and Religion in August 2000. From then on, the school, with Rev Dr Song as her first principal, has been receiving students from all over Cambodia.

With her most recent graduation of students on 19 August 2022 unhindered by the pandemic as teaching continued online, 19 cohorts of about 200 students have passed through CMBS’s gates over the years and gone on to serve in the areas of evangelism, missions, discipleship, shepherding, and teaching both in the Methodist churches as well as in other denominational churches and organisations. This would not have been possible without the generous support of the five partner agencies that started the Methodist Church of Cambodia (MCC) namely the United Methodist Church (USA), Korea Methodist Church, Methodist Missions Society (Singapore), Connexio (Switzerland), and the World Federation of Chinese Methodist Churches as well as local and international donors. Indeed, it is not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord that His Kingdom’s work of empowering new labourers in the harvest fields has been carried out.

CMBS currently runs training courses for full-time as well as part-time students through the Diploma of Theology, Bachelor of Theology, and Bachelor of Divinity programmes. Besides the daily lectures, students are put into family groups led by student leaders where they share and learn from one another even as they are mentored by parent-figure lecturers to guide them in their spiritual formation on their journey to becoming godly leaders. Students are given the opportunity to do weekend ministry with local churches to put into practice in what they have learnt as well as learn firsthand from experienced ministers. All the above-mentioned collectively amounts to an all-rounded training for students who are empowered to experience ministry in the Body of Christ and to replicate the ministry in the local churches they will be posted to serve in the future.

The Certificate of Ministry programme equips lay leaders and part-time students over a period of two years! Conducted originally for students living faraway in provinces such as Siem Reap and Banteay Meanchey, due to demand it has most recently in the last two years been carried out in the Phnom Penh and Kandal districts too! Despite the challenges of COVID-19 which prevented students from gathering onsite, online lessons were conducted as God’s work of equipping young ladies and gentlemen to be His spiritual leaders must continue! MMS has had the privilege of partnering CMBS in this programme through provision of resources for this work of empowering the ministers of God!

Good faculties are essential in inspiring theological students to arise to and fulfil their calling as they are prepared wisely by faithful servants of God. In this endeavour, MMS has sought to play our part by either seconding missionaries full time to CMBS or to teach certain weekly courses part-time. Doris Chan from Faith Methodist Church, taught from 2004 to 2013, sharing her knowledge in subjects such as Christian Education, Counselling, NT Survey, OT Survey, OT Historical Books, and the Life of Christ. Suzanna Lee from Covenant Community Methodist Church, was yet another woman of God who taught at CMBS from 2016 to 2022, in the areas of English and Music (Piano and Choir). Former MMS Country Directors, Jacob Cheng (2015 to 2018) and Benjamin Lee (2019 to 2022) also helped by teaching parttime certain subjects like Comparative World Religions and Church History.

Students are also taught to respond to contemporary community needs so that they could be relevant to those around them as they hold out the beacon of grace to others in need. During the height of the pandemic, some faculty and students with Principal Rev Prak Vuthy at the helm, reached out to the poor and underprivileged in the area surrounding CMBS. Blessed by resources from Singapore’s TRAC WSCS leadership, CMBS personnel were the human hands and feet of Jesus to bless 25 families with COVID-19 care packs of rice, medical supplies, and basic necessities, helping to transform challenging situations to ones of hope!

He has blessed and used CMBS as His instrument of empowerment to grow the Body of Christ and fulfil His purposes for

CMBS is deeply appreciative of partner churches and agencies who had not only supplied lecturers and funding but also given resources and scholarships to support the equipping of students for His ministry! Indeed, all glory to God that He has blessed and used CMBS as His instrument of empowerment to grow the Body of Christ and fulfil His purposes for Cambodia!

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