Cambodian Lutherans living boldly during COVID-19

by J.P Cima

On the face of it, Cambodia has fared well during the COVID-19 pandemic. With just over 120,000 reported cases and 3,000 deaths in a country of 16.7 million people, Cambodia’s infection rates are far below neighbouring countries. Moreover, the Royal Government of Cambodia has conducted a remarkably successful vaccination campaign to protect its citizens; with more than 80 percent of the total population having received two jabs, Cambodia is among the most vaccinated countries in the world.

But these numbers betray the devastating impacts that COVID-19 has had on Cambodia. Heavily dependent on tourism and exports, as well as foreign aid and investment, the restricted movement of both goods and people due to the pandemic has put stress on Cambodia’s fragile economy. Unemployment and underemployment continue to rise, contributing to poverty rates that exceed pre-pandemic levels. Prolonged school closures and poor accessibility to online education have left many students stranded and at high risk of drop out.

Even as individual Christian families struggle with these challenges, churches, too, have been directly and indirectly affected by the pandemic and the havoc it has wreaked. At precisely the time when people are most in material and spiritual need, the church has been most hampered in its ability to meet those needs. On-again-off-again and constantly changing restrictions on religious gatherings have made it difficult for Cambodian pastors, most of whom are already stretched thin working other jobs to support their families, to find ways to meet with and care for their members. After a particularly severe outbreak of COVID-19 in February 2021, congregations in Phnom Penh were prohibited from meeting together for eight months uninterrupted.

And yet, as communities whom God has called to care for and nurture each other no matter the circumstances, churches in Cambodia have been bold to reach both in and out during these trying times.

In the face of unemployment and increasing poverty, the Cambodia Lutheran Church (CLC), a collection of 20+ congregations throughout the country, saw an opportunity to share—in both word and deed—the love of God in Christ Jesus. “During the pandemic, many people in Cambodia were facing food shortages because COVID-19 came all of a sudden,” says Rev. Bun Phanna, a CLC Board member. In partnership with several international Lutheran organizations, including Lutheran Church–Canada, the CLC provided food aid to more than 350 vulnerable families throughout the country, including Christians and non-Christians alike. Each family, located in an area with a local CLC congregation, received a package with a month’s worth of food staples—rice, noodles, oil, fish sauce, and sardines. At most distribution sites, training for basic COVID-19 awareness and prevention was provided along with basic hygiene supplies.

Most importantly, at all distribution sites God’s Word of love and hope in Jesus Christ was proclaimed alongside the material gifts. Rev. Phanna, who was also the project manager for the food aid, explains: “The food aid that the Cambodia Lutheran Church has distributed has played a vital role in the lives of the people, providing them with hope. Along with food we have also provided them with the spiritual food of the Gospel to let them know of God’s love and that He is still in control.”

On a smaller scale, local churches are also responding creatively. Rev. Bun Sopheap, pastor of Preach Lutheran Church in rural Kampot Province and Chairperson for the CLC, established a rice bank. “I wanted to help not only our church members but also local people in the community who have been facing critical problems due to the widespread COVID-19 pandemic,” reflects Rev. Sopheap. A store of rice is kept on his church’s property, from which needy families can borrow and then pay back without interest over one year. This simple project is just the sort of targeted initiative that can keep struggling families from falling over the brink. To date, Rev. Sopheap’s rice bank has lent more than 1,500 kg of rice to local community members.

Beyond meeting a real need, these tangible gifts of love demonstrate to the wider society the servant heart of the Cambodian Christian community, a religious minority comprising only one to two percent of the population. “I have seen the rice bank make a difference in the community,” Rev. Sopheap explains. “It has brought the good news to locals in the community, so that they can see that the God of Christianity is always merciful and cares for the hungry.”

The needs are not only material but also spiritual. Rev. Un Songim is pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. During the pandemic, he has recognized both challenges and opportunities. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, the church could not meet for large portions of 2020 and 2021. Rev. Songim reflects, “Sometimes, I felt like I was losing a sense of living together as a community or society when the government locked down the city.” Nonetheless, Rev. Songim worked with church youth and musicians to provide regular online worship services, including live broadcasts and interactive Zoom meetings for prayer, song, and the teaching of God’s Word. He also worked to strengthen and establish smaller groups within the church that could meet in-person within government regulations. Even in these virtual and small venues, people could still “encourage and comfort each other with the love of Christ,” says Rev. Songim.

As the church closures dragged on, however, Rev. Songim was particularly concerned at how long it had been since most church members had received the Lord’s Supper. To meet this vital need, he announced a two-hour period in which members could drop by in a staggered fashion (so as to abide by government regulations) for a short liturgy, a homily from God’s Word, and to receive the body and blood of Christ. “It is stressful when COVID-19 distances me from being together with others,” Rev. Songim explains, and that reminds us all the more our need for the Sacrament—a tangible reminder that, in ordinary bread and wine, we receive our Lord’s Body and Blood. That Jesus is still Immanuel—“God with us.”

By the end of 2021, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen declared that Cambodia was to “live in the new normal,” maintaining basic precautions while fully reopening the country, including the easing of travel restrictions and the eventual reopening of schools at all levels. After an eight-month closure, churches have been permitted to gather again since October 2021. Across the country, people rejoiced as places of business opened their doors and children went back to school. Churches were delighted to be able to celebrate Christmas, a critical time for outreach. But that new normal is still a tenuous prospect given the persistent struggles with COVID-19 around the world. A recent World Bank report on Cambodia warns: “Risks remain tilted to the downside. Despite accelerated vaccination progress, risks of further disruptions remain high.... The possibility of new or existing variants of the virus spreading in the country could lead to a possible resurgence in new cases. A slowdown in global demand could hurt export-oriented sectors of the economy, while the tourism sector may recover even more slowly than expected.” The recent global spread of Omicron has underscored these risks.

Even as they pray for a stop to the pandemic and its devastating effects, Cambodian Christians’ response to the COVID-19 crisis thus far shows that they will live boldly to announce and demonstrate the love of God in Christ Jesus, no matter what the “new normal” turns out to be. Please pray for Revs. Phanna, Sopheap, and Songim, along with the Cambodia Lutheran Church, as well as all Christians throughout the country, that God would sustain and strengthen them to be salt and light for just this time. And join Rev. Phanna in trusting that: “God is in control despite the many difficulties that we are facing. So, we can trust in His promise and saving work for us.”

Rev. J.P. Cima is a missionary to Cambodia with the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.