តាហាស - Tahas"> ប្រវត្តវិទ្យាស្ថាន - History

តាហាស - Tahas
ហ្វឹកហ្វឺន និងបណ្ដុះបណ្ដាលអ្នកដឹកនាំគ្រិស្តជនTraining and Equipping Christian Leaders

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Tahas Bible Institute
“ Training and Equipping Christian Leaders ”
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Allan Hyndman's Video Summary

To really grasp what Tahas is all about, we're hoping to tell some of the stories of the people whose lives became the catalyst for change in Cambodia.
Allan Hyndman was pastoring a church in Hamilton, Ontario, in 1985. A group of Cambodia refugee folks had become part of the church, and notwithstanding language issues, had become part of the church family.

The church began praying for a Khmer speaking pastor, and this video is the story, told by Allan Hyndman in 2010, of how God answered the prayers for a pastor by preparing and sending Sok Em.

The Original Purpose of TBI

God had given us an impulse purpose in mind about a Bible school. From the beginning of ministry, our local Christian leadership team in Kampong Chhnang Evangelical Alliance always trains the next generation Christian leaders through teaching courses that are theologically sound, practically applicable to a local context and apply it the same time they lead a church that is being developed. We envisage that we will do a better job equipping many Christian leaders if we would own a suitable facility.
Stacks Image 159
God lead us to locate a building on sale right in the city vicinity. In December 2002, KCEA bought a building with the intention being used for our future of Bible institute. Thus, what is the impulse original purpose of the Bible Institute? The original purpose of the Bible Institute is to equip church leaders with ministry skills and eventually, the Cambodian Christians are to carry out the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Soon we got the building; we visualize the person who would be the director of the Bible Institute. He must be the person called by God to carry this mission endeavor. We pray to God with great earnest. While praying the Lord revealed a person to us. We approached him. He is open to the leading of Holy Spirit. If God opens a way for him and his wife, he would be glad to serve the school with the director capacity. Gradually, the Lord made Himself clear to him and his wife accepting the call to serve our school. They are Pastor Sok Em and his wife Savy Em. We had entrusted the work of school development to him through a series of working contracts respectively in November 2006 and in October 2007.

Tahas is Named

We owe credibility to Mr. Don Cormack for the following information. It is extracted and summarized from Mr. Cormack’s book titled “The Killing Fields, the Living Fields,” page 27-43.
Back in 1923, the year the Gospel of our Lord reached Cambodia; TA HAS (literally means Grandpa Has) made a trip to Battambang City that located approximately five kilometers from his home village. Ta Has is a well-respected and influential Buddhist lay-person in his community. Soon he reached the city square he spotted a westerner boldly spoke about a foreign God, namely Jesus Christ. He was amazed how a westerner could fluently speak his language and boldly mentioned of the name of a foreign God in a market place. He attentively listened to the preacher. He went back home. All night long he kept meditating upon what he had heard. The next day, he returned and had a personal conversation with the preacher. Ta Has was fully convicted that even he is a relatively good person; he is also a sinner before the righteous God. He finally accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.

Local authority tried their best to discourage him from adhering to his new found faith. Since that strategy was fruitless, a good while after his conversion, he was arrested and threw into an open prison cell in the middle of a rice field during rice budding season. In that season rain is pouring down hard day and night; and mosquito bite like flies sniffing garbage during the day. His cell prison was built with barbwires in such a way that he and his two other Christian friends who came to know the Lord through him could neither sit nor stand. The cell also has no roof to protect him from rain and sunray. Mosquito bit him to the point of death. He urinated and pooped in the same cell for a long period of time. They were fed daily by their wives. Every day authority came to persuade him to renounce his faith in Jesus Christ. Yet, he said that faith could not be renounced; once it was born in his heart it lives there. He and his companion never forsook their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ even though he was persecuted as severe as it was. From TA HAS heroic commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ that TAHAS BIBLE INSTUTUTE births its name from. Therefore, the name of the school shall be the same as always.

It has been our hope and prayers that every single leadership, faculty members as well as student who finish their training from TAHAS BIBLE INSTITUTE would live out their faith the same way as TA HAS would live his as a living testimony to the people in their community ultimately bringing the only glory to our Almighty God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Amen and Amen!!!

Dara Pen's Curriculum Plan

Dara Pen was an important influence on the formation of TBI. Two interesting documents:
1.
Letter to Allan Hyndman in 1991 talking about an initial curriculum.
2. The
suggested curriculum.

Al and Sok's Article in Decision

This is the story of the Sok Em from the escape from Cambodia's Khmer Rouge, to emigrating to Canada. This article was published in Decision Magazine, May, 1989.

See the original article in pdf form here.

Just In Time

by Sok Em as told to Allan Hyndman
DECISION May 1989


If your God IS so powerful throw yourself into the fire. If it doesn’t burn you I will believe in your God.

I had known Jesus Christ as my Savior for only one day and at first I didn’t know what to say to the man who challenged me But the Holy Spirit seemed to put a response in to my mind You believe in black magic, I said “You jump into the fire first. If black magic keeps you from get ting burned, then I will jump in.”

The man just walked away.

I knew almost nothing about God before I accepted Christ. My people were Buddhists or practiced no religion. Others feared evil spirits which they tried to appease with black magic.

In 1975, five years before I became a Christian, the Khmer Rouge forces took over Cambodia (Kampuchea). They drove people from their homes in the cities and placed them in labor camps. Families were often separated so they would not try to escape.

Many Cambodians died during this time. Some were killed in order to minimize resistance; others starved to death as they were forced to work long hours on the land.

One time soldiers tied me up, planning to shoot me later-a common way they inflicted terror in people.

For some reason they returned to release me. Another time soldiers shot at me as I gathered food from a field they planned to burn. '

I felt that our only hope for survival was to flee. I had been married 12 for only a year, and my wife, Savy, was seven months pregnant. Our escape would be difficult for her and risky for our unborn child. The jungle trails were mined with explosives and guarded by soldiers.

We ran for three nights and two days, and hid for one day, without food or water before we reached the border of Thailand. There, other refugees were camped in crude shelters made of branches and leaves.

Only two hours after we reached the border Savy gave birth to a girl whom we named Chap. Both mother and daughter were fine, but we had made it just in time. After living 10 weeks in the border jungle, a battle erupted around our campsite and we were caught in the cross fire. Savy hid with the baby in a low area of the ground. When there was a lull in the shooting, Savy got up from her hiding place and came toward me. She had walked only about five meters when a shell exploded right where she had been crouching. I saw the little pillow on which our baby had slept fly into the air. “Where is the baby?” I screamed. I was relieved when Savy showed me that the baby was with her. They had moved just in time! Not until much later did I understand that God had been protecting us.

We moved farther into Thailand and ended up at the Khao-I-Dang camp, where some 125,000 refugees lived. We were given a small piece of land on which we erected a little bamboo house.
Near us lived 80-year-old Taing San and his family. He led one of the groups of Christians who met to sing, pray and read the Bible together. I often ridiculed them.

But Taing San was kind to us. Every day for two months he came to our house. As he helped us with our work, he talked about the Bible, that it says we all are sinners, but Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead to save us from our sins.

One day I thought about the kindness this neighbor had shown us and what he had said about Jesus. I wanted to believe that what the Bible said was true and I wanted to accept Jesus as Savior. I struggled for two weeks before Savy finally asked, “Are you going to believe in Jesus?”

We decided to go to Taing San’s house that evening. When he opened his door, I said, “We have come to confess to Jesus and become Christians.” That night, March 14, 1980, my wife and I both accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior. We finally came to know the God who had been watching over us. The very next day was when I had to face the challenge to test my new faith in God by throwing myself into a fire.

I was baptized in May of 1980.

Three months later Taing San and his family moved to California. Another refugee and I led our group of believers for several months until my family was moved to another refugee camp.

At the new camp I attended a Bible school for refugees. It was at that camp that I came face to face with one of the soldiers who had tied me up and left me to be shot years before. He had deserted the armed forces, fled to Thailand and was now a refugee. At first he was frightened because he too remembered the incident.

But God had freed me from hatred and bitterness. I said to the soldier, “I’ve become a Christian and God has forgiven my sins. I am a new man and I have forgotten the wrongs of the past.” What a joy when he said that he was a Christian now as well.

Eventually my family and others were moved to yet another refugee camp. Seven months later we were sent back to live in Khao-I-Dang camp again, where I became one of the elders in our church. Many of the elders were leaving to begin new lives in other countries. By 1984 I was one of two elders who were left, and we assumed pastoral care of the whole camp which now numbered 30,000 to 40,000; about 400 attended our church.

During the months of living in the refugee camps, we continued to sense God’s care for us. Both Savy and our son Samson, overcame life threatening illnesses. We believe they were healed because God answered our prayers, and those of our Christian neighbors. The Lord allowed us to face the enemy many times, but we learned that “the one who is in [us] is greater than the one who is in the world.”*

In June, 1985, we were notified that our family had been accepted for settlement in Canada. A church in Edmonton, Alberta, wanted us to lead a group of Cambodian refugees. Before the church completed its application to sponsor us, the Canadian Government invited us to go under its sponsorship.

We flew to Toronto, where we went through Immigration and Customs. We were directed to an Immigration line where a woman asked “are you going to Hamilton?” I couldn’t understand her English clearly, and didn’t distinguish between Hamilton and Edmonton, so I answered “yes”.

A van took us to Hamilton, Ontario. We had no idea we weren’t going to Edmonton. I wondered why no one from the church had met us, so I asked someone, “What is this city?” When he answered Hamilton, I asked “Where is Edmonton?” He said that it was more than 2,000 miles away!

We were in a strange country, and not even in the right city. Again I turned to God for help: “Father, I don’t know what to do. I came to Canada to be a pastor to Cambodians, but I don’t even know if there are any in this city. Help us.”

We were taken to a hotel in Hamilton near the Canadian immigration building. The next morning Sovandy, a young Cambodian who was welcoming newly arrived refugees, knocked on our door. After we became acquainted, he asked if we would be interested in going to a church which quite a few Cambodian families attended. As we talked further, Sovandy became excited when he learned I was a pastor.

“We’ve been praying for someone to help lead our Cambodian people. I must call our pastor!”

Before long, Pastor Allan Hyndman came to our room. As we talked, we learned that we believed alike and had the same hopes for the Cambodian people.

Pastor Hyndman said, “Just last night at our prayer meeting we asked the Lord to send us someone who could give leadership to the Cambodian people in our congregation. We know they need instruction in Christian living in a manner and language they understand.”

That same night I had been praying, “Lord, help me to find someone who can help me understand why I am here and what I should do.”

I became the Cambodian pastor at Buchanan Park Free Methodist Church. Since then, the Lord has opened to us a growing understanding of his will. Our group has grown to 40 Cambodian families, and we know of about 100 other refugee families in Hamilton and its suburbs.

The Lord had prepared us for his service. Now I realize that the God who knew me before I knew him had always cared for us, and even saved our lives-just in time.

*1 John 4:4, NIV; taken by permission from The Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society, East Brunswick, New Jersey 13

Sok Em is pastor of the Hamilton Cambodian Evangelical Fellowship, associated with Buchanan Park Free Methodist Church in Hamilton, Ontario. He and his wife, Savy, have three children. They live in Stoney Creek, Ontario.

Allan Hyndman is senior pastor of Buchanan Park Free Methodist Church. He and his wife, Vivian, have three grown sons and live in Hamilton. © 1989 Allan Hyndman.

The Hamilton, Canada Church

This is the story of the beginning of a Canadian church for Cambodians formed in Canada, and how Pastor Em came to be the pastor, told by AW Hyndman.

To see this AW Hyndman tell this story on video, check here.
HISTORY OF THE HAMILTON CAMBODIAN EVANGELICAL FELLOWSHIP
By Allan W. Hyndman

The story of Hamilton's Cambodian church is a testimony to the sovereignty of God in the work of his kingdom. The Buchanan Park Free Methodist Church is the place where the Cambodian church has developed from one family to forty families in a little over three years. The stages of growth and even the existence of the Cambodian church bear the marks of divine providence and intervention all the way.


pasted-graphic
Buchanan Park Free Methodist Church - First Cambodian Congregation

I THE FIRST CAMBODIAN FAMILY
One Sunday evening in October, 1984, two young men visited the service at Buchanan Park. One was Cambodians the other an Anglo-Canadian. After the service the Anglo university student whose name was Mclver, introduced his Cambodian friend, Dean Leak.

Mclver told us he was attending Waterloo University, about 50 miles from Hamilton, but that his home was in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Dean had lived in the Mclvers' home for about a year, but recently Dean and his parents had come to Hamilton where his father hoped to find employment.

Mclver said, "I wanted Dean to be introduced to the Free Methodist Church here, because his family was part of the New Canadian Fellowship at the First Free Methodist Church in Moose Jaw before they came to Hamilton." He left the name and address of where the Leaks were staying.

After a pastoral visit with the Leaks, they began attending the Sunday services at Buchanan Park. When they had been attending for about six weeks Mrs. Leak (Mony) said, "We used to have a separate class for new Canadians in Moose Jaw where we could understand the lessons better. Could we have a separate class here?"

II A CAMBODIAN SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS
That led to the idea of a special Sunday School class for refugees who had a limited command of the English language. Mony found a newly arrived Cambodian refugee family the next week and the class began. By Christmas there were four families and by June there were 13, all of them Cambodian. They sat together in the English language worship services and understood only a little. But they continued to attend.

Meanwhile, the congregation ministered to the new arrivals in many ways, providing clothing, transportation and help with the problems of adapting to a new culture. Government red tape, income tax returns hospital procedures and learning to drive a car were all new experiences. So were grocery shopping, child care and job hunting. In these and other ways the Canadians helped the newcomers.

A few Cambodian families moved away during that first summer in 1985. But by September there were still nine families attending fairly regularly. It was evident by this time that our ability to understand their deeper spiritual needs and to communicate the saving gospel to them was severely limited by the language barrier. None of the Anglo-Canadians knew anything about the Khmer language. Usually only one member of each refugee family could speak English, and that only brokenly.

The new families kept arriving from Thailand every month. Usually they were greeted on their arrival by some of the families that attended the church. They would be informed of what was available to them through the church by way of fellowship with other Cambodians as well as practical assistance and love. There was no end in sight of the steady increase in numbers.

III GOD PROVIDES A PASTOR
On September 17 at a cottage prayer meeting attended by the leaders of the Buchanan Park Church it was a special matter of prayer that the Lord might give us someone who could take full responsibility for directing our ministry to Cambodians, preferably someone who could speak their language. The next day Sovandy. one of the young Cambodian men, called the church from the motor hotel where new refugees were always lodged until housing was located. Sovandy said, "Pastor, I think you should come to the hotel. The Lord has sent us a Cambodian pastor." He was right. The Lord had sent us a fully qualified Cambodian pastor, Sok Em. The story of how he became a Christian, a pastor and how he came to be in Hamilton is an exciting story told in an article called, "Just In Time -- The Story of Sok Em, The First Cambodian Free Methodist Pastor."

IV A CAMBODIAN FREE METHODIST FELLOWSHIP
Under Pastor Em's leadership a Cambodian Free Methodist Fellowship was formed bringing together some Christian families who had previously been worshipping in other evangelical churches in the area. They named the new fellowship "The Hamilton Cambodian Evangelical Fellowship'1. (HCEF) In just a few weeks the new fellowship began holding separate worship services in the church basement fellow- ship hall. The worship service meets at the same hour as the English language service in the sanctuary. Sunday School classes for the children of both languages have been integrated from the first, as have the children's church groups. The number of families has continued to increase under Pastor Em's leadership and pastoral care. Some have moved away to other cities to find employment and a few have been turned away from the church by a small band of Buddhists that have been jealous of the growing Christian influence. Still there are 40 families on the love/care list of the Cambodian Fellowship. On a given Sunday there would be about 30 of them in attendance.
On Christmas and Easter Sundays the Anglo congregation plan their activities so as to share the facilities with the Cambodian Fellowship for their special celebrations. On these special days the Cambodians send out special invitations to their constituency as well as to other Cambodian groups in nearby cities who have no pastoral leadership. They meet for worship and a native meal together. These gatherings always include some who do not otherwise attend, swelling their attendance to over 100.
Pastor Em, an able evangelist, always gives a gospel message when there is a gathering of those who seldom hear the gospel in their own language. Several have been saved and many have been instructed and built up in the faith.

A discipleship training program led by Pastor Em and Pastor Hyndman functions weekly with the leaders of the Cambodian congregation. In August, 1987, the HCEF was granted the use of the Canada Great Lakes Conference Campgrounds for a three-day summer camp. They invited Cambodians from five cities and had an attendance of about 100. Four people were saved at that camp. The HCEF was recognized by the Canada Great Lakes Conference in its 1986 session as a church planting project of the Buchanan Park Church and designated it a Free Methodist Fellowship. Both the CGL Conference and the Free Methodist Church in Canada have helped financially with the project by assisting with the purchase of a bus, a van, and a used car for the pastor.

The Buchanan Park Church provides substantial support Financially as well as maintaining and operating the bus and van and providing practical assistance and teachers. The Cambodian pastor's salary, carried largely by individuals in the Anglo congregation, is supplemented by the offerings of the Cambodian people.

Pastor Em and his wife became full members of the Buchanan Park Church on December 27, 1987. He is proceeding to fulfill his requirements for ordination. As far as we know, the Hamilton Cambodian Evangelical Fellowship is the first Cambodian Free Methodist Church in the world, and Pastor Sok Em the first Cambodian Free Methodist pastor.

A Seminary in a Refugee Camp

See the original document here.
HISTORICAL DOCUMENT FROM FEBRUARY 1991

Emmanuel Bible School /Ecole Biblique Immanuel
603 - 837 Queenston Rd., Stoney Creek, ON L8G 1B3
( Telephone (416) 664-3848
February 1, 1991

“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, righthly dividing the word of truth."
"Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also."
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect thoroughly furnished unto all good works. "
(2 Tim. 2:15, 2:1, 2; 3.-16, 17)

Administration

Provisional Director/Directeur provisoire: Rev. Dara R. Pen, Califomia, USA
Assistant Director/Directeur-adjoint: Rev. Sok Em, Stoney Creek, ONT
General Secretary/Secrétaire général: Mr. Sovandy Mok, Hamilton, ONT Treasurer/Trésorier: Mr. James Bo, Downsview ONT

Board of Reference / Commission de Reseignement

Rev. Saroeun Sou, Ottawa, Ontario
Rev. Steve Feather Hamilton, Ontario
Rev. Allan Hyndman, Welland, Ontario
Dr: Al Reimer, Three Hills, Alberta
Rev. Joe S. Kong, President, Cambodian Christian Service, USA


BRIEF HISTORY OF EMMANUEL BIBLE SCHOOL

ORIGIN

In April, 1980 the Lord called Pastor Dara Pen from the United States to serve as a short-term missionary in the Refugee Camps in Thailand. He presented his idea of a "mini" Bible School to the leaders of the Khmer Church in Khao I Dang Camp. The idea was welcomed by all the leaders, but it did not crystallize on account of difficulties encountered at that time. After spending several months ministering in Thailand and the Philippines, Pastor Pen returned to the States in September.

The Lord made it possible for Pastor Pen to go back to Thailand with his wife and two children in January 1981. As an Associate Missionary serving under the Christian and Missionary Alliance he was asked to give the objectives and specific goal for his ministry. The "objectives" listed in his job description were "Teaching, training, edifying the churches and providing spiritual ministry to the Medical Team" and the specific goal was "To encourage literacy classes to teach those who do not read or write Cambodian and to set up some type of a "mini Bible School" to train pastors and/or Christian workers for the possible return to the Land."

Prior to his return to Thailand the Lord had ordered some changes to take place. Many Christians along with their pastor, Rev. Chan Ham, were moved from Khao I Dang Camp to Sakeo II Camp where Pastor Pen and his wife Ligaya were to be assigned. Pastor Chan Ham and Pastor Dara Pen had known one another a long time. Without delay Pastor Pen approached Pastor Chan Ham and the leaders there with the proposal for a Bible School -- an underground Bible School, mind you. To make a long story short, the Bible School officially opened on February 12, 1981 in Sakeo II Camp. The students, nearly one hundred of them had registered, named the school "Emmanuel Bible School.” The question was raised, "Why Emmanuel?" The answer was unanimous, "Because ’God is With Us’." Truly the Lord was with us all during the time the school was in operation.

The EBS was a "specialized academic" approach to the refugee’s situation designed to meet the immediate need for training Christian pastors and Christian workers among the refugees in their emergency environment.

It was hoped that this training would help prepare them for pastoral ministries where they might be located -- either in third countries or in the event they were to be repatriated to the homeland.
The purpose of the school was to fulfill the instruction Paul gave to Timothy, "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit though to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also" (2 Tim. 2:2). It was to provide pastoral training in Bible, Theology, Church History, Bible Interpretation and ministry-related subjects. It was also hoped to provide credit, through a recognized school in the Philippines or somewhere else, so that the students who go to third countries would be able to continue their training for Christian Ministry. It should be noted that a pastoral class was established in the second semester. Many of those pastoral students continued their training in third countries. Today many of them are serving the Lord in various capacities around the world, including Rev. Sok Em, Pastor of the Cambodian congregation in Hamilton.

The Emmanuel Bible School, however, was short-lived, for its Dean, Pastor Dara Pen, had to return to the United States for (cancer) surgery.

Furthermore, Sakeo II Camp was closed at the end of 1982. Pastor Pen continued his ministry at home in the States with the Cambodian Evangelical Churches of the Christian and Missionary Alliance.

EMMANUEL BIBLE SCHOOL IN CANADA Rev. Sok Em, a man of vision, saw the need for a training center in Canada and he expressed his desire to Rev. Dara Pen. After the first Bible Conference of the Cambodian Churches in Canada at Thamesford in 1989 where Pastor Dara Pen was one of the speakers, the two brethren concurred that a Bible School was needed, but that they should wait for the "opportune moment."

After the Second Bible Conference last year when the Federation of Cambodian Evangelical Churches in Canada was established, Pastor Sok Em as well as Pastor Dara Pen and some other brethren felt that the opportune moment had arrived. And after several months of planning and waiting, the brethren of the Cambodian Congregation of Buchanan Park Free Methodist Church voted to go ahead with the Bible School Project. Pastor Sok Em presented this resolution to the FCECC Provisional Executive Committee and it was approved. Emmanuel Bible School was named after the short-lived Emmanuel Bible Institute in Sakeo II Camp in Thailand. The idea was to continue the ministry which God had used to provide training for so many refugees, through the "main campus" in Sakeo II Camp and the two other centers in Khao I Dang and Kamput Camps ten years earlier.

Pastor Dara Pen was asked to render his assistance. He agreed to serve as the Provisional Dean to get the school off the ground until someone else is found to relieve him of this position because of his heavy responsibilities in the States and on account of his health.

Rev. Dara Pen, in turn, contacted Prairie Bible Institute in Three Hills, Alberta for help. The intention was to ask Prairie to recognize Emmanuel Bible School and grant credit to its students. Praise the Lord! Dr. Al Reimer, Head of the Continuing Education Department, who agreed to serve as a member of the Board of Reference, assured us of Prairie’s willingness to help.

He will, at an appropriate time, meet with EBS officers in Hamilton to crystallize the relationship between Prairie Bible Institute in Three Hills, Alberta and Emmanuel Bible School in Hamilton, Ontario.

Also in his capacity as the provisional director, Rev. Pen prepared an interim curriculum consisting of the foundational courses which will be taken one a time throughout the year. This curriculum will be revised as often as the need arises until the final one is fully adopted.

Because Emmanuel Bible School is a specialized academic approach designed to meet the immediate need for training Christian pastors and Christian workers, the curricullum is structured to meet the need of the students, especially married students, so that their family life would not be disrupted as the men prepare themselves for the ministry. Consequently, EBS students will take one course at a time beginning with Introduction to the Bible, but not necessarily in the same order thereafter. The proposed curriculum will be revised, as often as necessary, until the other "foundational courses" are covered as part of EBS official curriculum in the future.

SOME PROPOSED FOUNDATIONAL COURSES

Introduction to the Bible
Exploring Genesis
Exploring Exodus
Exploring Leviticus
Systematic Theology
Church History
Bible Interpretation
Evangelism and Missions
The Life of Christ
Homiletics
Pastoral Theology

Many things remain to be worked out, e.g., the admission requirements, the tuition fees, the regulations, the faculty. Please pray that in due time these matters will be taken care of for the smooth operation of EBS, which we truly believe the Lord has been pleased to raise up in time of need.

Please pray that Emmanuel Bible School will be used of the Lord to train future pastors, missionaries, and Christian workers for the white harvest field, not in Canada only, but also around the world, be it in refugee camps in Thailand, along the border, or in Kampuchea (the new name for Cambodia).

For further information please feel free to write or call either Rev. Sok Em or Rev. Dara Pen. We will be glad to answer any questions.

HISTORICAL DOCUMENT FROM FEBRUARY 1991

More of the Story

In April, 1980 the Lord called Pastor Dara Pen from the United States to serve as a short-term missionary in the Refugee Camps in Thailand. He presented his idea of a "mini" Bible School to the leaders of the Khmer Church in Khao I Dang Camp. The idea was welcomed by all the leaders, but it did not crystallize on account of difficulties encountered at that time. After spending several months ministering in Thailand and the Philippines, Pastor Pen returned to the States in September.
Pasted Graphic
Ligaya and Dara Pen

The Lord made it possible for Pastor Pen to go back to Thailand with his wife and two children in January 1981. As an Associate Missionary serving under the Christian and Missionary Alliance he was asked to give the objectives and specific goal for his ministry. The "objectives" listed in his job description were "Teaching, training, edifying the churches and providing spiritual ministry to the Medical Team" and the specific goal was "To encourage literacy classes to teach those who do not read or write Cambodian and to set up some type of a "mini Bible School" to train pastors and/or Christian workers for the possible return to the Land."

Prior to his return to Thailand the Lord had ordered some changes to take place. Many Christians along with their pastor, Rev. Chan Ham, were moved from Khao I Dang Camp to Sakeo II Camp where Pastor Pen and his wife Ligaya were to be assigned. Pastor Chan Ham and Pastor Dara Pen had known one another a long time. Without delay Pastor Pen approached Pastor Chan Ham and the leaders there with the proposal for a Bible School -- an underground Bible School, mind you. To make a long story short, the Bible School officially opened on February 12, 1981 in Sakeo II Camp. The students, nearly one hundred of them had registered, named the school "Emmanuel Bible School.” The question was raised, "Why Emmanuel?" The answer was unanimous, "Because ’God is With Us’." Truly the Lord was with us all during the time the school was in operation.
Pasted Graphic 1
The EBS was a "specialized academic" approach to the refugee’s situation designed to meet the immediate need for training Christian pastors and Christian workers among the refugees in their emergency environment.

It was hoped that this training would help prepare them for pastoral ministries where they might be located -- either in third countries or in the event they were to be repatriated to the homeland.
The purpose of the school was to fulfill the instruction Paul gave to Timothy, "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit though to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also" (2 Tim. 2:2). It was to provide pastoral training in Bible, Theology, Church History, Bible Interpretation and ministry-related subjects. It was also hoped to provide credit, through a recognized school in the Philippines or somewhere else, so that the students who go to third countries would be able to continue their training for Christian Ministry. It should be noted that a pastoral class was established in the second semester. Many of those pastoral students continued their training in third countries. Today many of them are serving the Lord in various capacities around the world, including Rev. Sok Em, Pastor of the Cambodian congregation in Hamilton.

The Emmanuel Bible School, however, was short-lived, for its Dean, Pastor Dara Pen, had to return to the United States for (cancer) surgery.
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Furthermore, Sakeo II Camp was closed at the end of 1982. Pastor Pen continued his ministry at home in the States with the Cambodian Evangelical Churches of the Christian and Missionary Alliance.
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ឯកសារប្រវត្តិសាស្ត្រពីខែកុម្ភៈឆ្នាំ ១៩៩១

វិទ្យាស្ថានព្រះគម្ពីរ អេម៉ាញូអែល

ចូរខំប្រឹងនឹងថ្វាយខ្លួនដល់ព្រះ ទុកជាមនុស្សដែលបានល្បងជាប់ហើយ ជាអ្នកធ្វើការ ដែលមិនត្រូវខ្មាសឡើយ ដោយកាត់ស្រាយព្រះបន្ទូលនៃសេចក្តីពិតយ៉ាងត្រឹមត្រូវ "
" ដូច្នេះ កូនអើយ ចូរមានកំឡាំងឡើងដោយសារព្រះគុណ ដែលនៅក្នុងព្រះគ្រីស្ទយេស៊ូវ អស់ទាំងសេចក្តីដែលអ្នកបានអំពីខ្ញុំ នៅមុខស្មរបន្ទាល់ជាច្រើន នោះក៏ត្រូវផ្ញើទុកនឹងមនុស្សស្មោះត្រង់ ដែលអាចនឹងបង្វឹកបង្រៀនទៅអ្នកទៀតដែរ ដូច្នេះ ចូរឲ្យអ្នកទ្រាំទ្រទុក្ខលំបាក ដូចជាទាហានយ៉ាងល្អរបស់ព្រះយេស៊ូវគ្រីស្ទចុះ "
១៦ តែត្រូវចៀសចេញពីពាក្យសំដីឡេះឡោះឥតប្រយោជន៍ ដ្បិតពាក្យយ៉ាងនោះ នឹងនាំឲ្យចំរើនសេចក្តីទមិលល្មើស កាន់តែច្រើនឡើងទេ ១៧ ហើយសំដីគេនឹងស៊ីរូងដូចជាដំបៅក្លាយ ក្នុងពួកនេះមានឈ្មោះហ៊ីមេនាស និងភីលេត "
(២ធីម៉ូថេ  :១៥, :, ; ;  ១៦, ១៧)

ផ្នែករដ្ឋបាល :

នាយកបណ្តោះអាសន្ន / នាយកបណ្តោះអាសន្ន : លោកគ្រូ ប៉ែន ដារ៉ា, ពីទីក្រុងកាលីហ្វ័រញ៉ា សហរដ្ឋអមេរិក
ភូឈួយ : គ្រូ ឯម សុខ, ពីស្តូនីគ្រីក ខេត្តអង់តារីយ៉ូ កាណាដា
អគ្គលេខាធិការ : លោក ម៉ុក សូវណ្ណឌី, ពីហាមិលតុន, អង់តារីយ៉ូ កាណាដា
ហេរញ្ញិក : លោក បូ ជេម្ស, ដោនវីយូ អង់តារីយ៉ូ
រូបភាពចាស់ៗ
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ខ្ញ ឯម-សុខ បើលោកអ្នក បងប្អូនចង់ទាក់ទងមកខ្ញផ្ទាល់ -
សូមផ្ញើរតាមសារអេឡិចត្រូនិច : mail2ems@yahoo.ca
តាមទូរស័ព្ទលេខ :  ០២៦ ៦៣៩-៣៩៦៤ ឬលេខផ្ទាល់ខ្លួន ០១២ ៤៥៦-៤២២

អាសយដ្ឋាន : ភូមិត្រពាំងចឹកសា សង្កាត់កំពុងឆ្នាំង ក្រុងកំពុងឆ្នាំង ខេត្តកំពុងឆ្នាំង ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា
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Contact Info:
Sok Em’s Email: mail2ems@yahoo.ca / Ph: (855) 12 456-422
Vern Hyndman:
vern@hyndman.com / Ph: (717) 422-7210
Gwen Reese (CMUPS- Board Chair):
gwenreese@telus.net
Canadian Mission to Unreached Peoples Society
#79-15677 – 28th Ave, Surrey, BC V3Z 0E5
Support for Sok Em - SSEKH-01
Support for TBI and Special Projects - SSEKH-75
(Include the name of the project.)
USA donors who require a tax receipt. Email us for instruction.
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