Catechism distributed at Cambodia’s National Day of Prayer July 16, 2018

LHF’s office manager in Cambodia, Sopha Khorn (left), helps distribute catechisms at the National Day of Prayer.

More than 300 people from many Christian denominations enthusiastically received their own copies of LHF’s Khmer-language Small Catechism at Cambodia’s recent National Day of Prayer gathering.

LHF partnered with Lutheran Hour Ministries to distribute the books.

“Before LHF came to Cambodia 15 years ago, there was no Lutheran church in Cambodia,” reflected Rev. Ted NaThalang, LHF’s project coordinator for Southeast Asia. “There were many non-denominational groups — generally Baptists — but they didn’t have any good teaching materials.

“When we translated and published Luther’s Small Catechism into their language, about 75 church leaders came to learn more about it. We didn’t know them, and they didn’t know LHF, but they liked our materials,” he said.

“From there, the Lutheran Church in Cambodia was born,” Rev. NaThalang concluded. “Still today, only about one-half of one percent of Cambodians are Christian. We want to unite Christians in Cambodia around the Word of God and our good Lutheran teachings, and so we continue to share LHF’s books with anyone wanting to know more about who Jesus Christ is.”