WORD OF LIFE B-P CHURCH
(SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA)

Pr Tann Heng

Just before I completed my studies at Far Eastern Bible College (FEBC), Pr William Goh introduced me to New Life Bible-Presbyterian Church which wanted me to start a mission station in Siem Reap, Cambodia. So, after I graduated from FEBC in 2013, I went back to my country Cambodia to serve the Lord under New Life. I set up a mission station by renting a house and starting a children’s ministry.

In 2013, I started the ministry with the children at one of the orphanages and with children who lived near the mission station. I focused only on children.

I went to the village to invite children to come to Sunday school. Seven children came for the first Sunday school at the old mission station. God blessed the work. Later more children were added to the Sunday school.

A team from Singapore came over to conduct Vacation Bible School (VBS) and provide dental treatment. Through these mission works, we have opportunity to share the gospel not only to the children but also the adults in the villages.

I taught God’s Word at the orphanage for more than a year. Later the orphanage was shut down because it did not have the permit from the government. From that time onwards I focused on the Sunday school children and the adult worship service at the mission station.

We started the adult worship service on 19 January 2014. We praise God for the people who came on Sunday to worship the Lord. There was a house church which was located near our mission station. However, this house church had to move because the pastor had sold his house. After the pastor sold his house, he entrusted all his church members to me. On 19 October 2014 our church saw an increase in worshippers on the Lord’s Day.

In 2014 a Singapore team came again to conduct VBS and provide dental treatment. We had the opportunity to invite the children in another village to come for VBS. Since the children were not able to come on their own, we hired a Tuk Tuk to bring the children from the village to the mission station for VBS. So we started to hire a Tuk Tuk from 23 November 2014 onwards. About 60 to 70 children came for VBS and heard the gospel of salvation. Praise God.

When the rental lease for the house expired at the end of 2 years, we wanted to renew the lease, but the owner of the house did not want to renew it. We had to move to a new place. Praise God I found a new house for the mission station. Again, I signed a lease for 2 years.

In 2015, we moved the mission station to a new place. We thank God that all the worshippers came for service at the new place. From 1 February 2015, I started a course on Basic Bible Knowledge to prepare the worshippers for baptism, re-affirmation of faith and transfer of membership. This course was conducted after the worship service. I had to make sure that all members are Bible believing and have a high view of God’s Word in their life.

We wanted to follow up with the children at the village. So we continued to hire a Tuk Tuk to fetch the children for Sunday school. In June 2015, FEBC students came over to visit me. So I organised an outreach to the children and shared the gospel to the villagers as well as the children. In September 2015 we had a VBS again.

Praise God for the work at New Life Bible-Presbyterian Church, Siem Reap. It was growing yearly by God’s grace.

The course on Basic Bible Knowledge took almost one year to complete. After the course 18 people decided to transfer membership and one adult sought baptism. My infant son Tann Daniel needed to be baptised as well. On the Lord’s Day of 24 January 2016, New Life Pastor Rev Gabriel Gan conducted the transfer of membership and baptismal service. After the service, Rev Gan told me that he wanted to see some pieces of land located near the mission station. He said that New Life members wanted to buy a land and build a church for permanent worship. He also said that a member of New Life had donated a Tuk Tuk for the children’s ministry. When I heard that I was very happy and thankful to God for answering our prayer because we were praying for these.

On 25 January 2016, in the morning, I brought Rev Gabriel Gan to see 5 or 6 pieces of land located near the mission station and asked for their prices. I also brought him to a Tuk Tuk company to check the price for a Tuk Tuk. It cost US$2500. He said that maybe in June 2016 he would send the money to buy a Tuk Tuk for the children’s ministry.

At lunchtime on 25 January 2016, Rev Gabriel Gan asked me, “Pr Tann Heng, how long do you want to work with New Life?” I replied, “It is very good question; as long as New Life does not attack God’s Word I will still work with New Life.” Then Rev Gabriel Gan said to me, “Wow, are you standing for VPP?” I replied, “Yes.” Then he said, “New Life does not allow you to teach VPP; so you cannot teach VPP.” I replied, “No, from the beginning no one commanded me not to teach VPP.” Then Rev Gan said, “OK, when I go back to Singapore I will talk to New Life Session.” I replied, “After you go back to talk to New Life Session, please let me know what I can teach and what I cannot teach, what I can do and what I cannot do.” Then Rev Gan said that he would let me know after he discussed the matter with New Life Session.

On 11 March 2016, New Life sent me an email and told me to sign a statement of undertaking not to teach the Verbal Plenary Preservation (VPP) of the Scriptures as propounded by FEBC. I took some time to pray before making a decision. This was my email to them on 17 March 2016, “I have decided that I cannot sign on that statement. I will continue to preach, teach and defend all the doctrines that I have learnt from Far Eastern Bible College (FEBC).”

Rev Gabriel Gan then called me to Singapore to meet the New Life Session. So I flew to Singapore on 17 May 2016. On 18 May I attended the New Life prayer meeting. After the prayer meeting, I met with the New Life Session. The meeting lasted for about an hour, and they talked about the past and reminded me that they had helped me a lot from the time the mission started, including my wedding. But the main point was this: Rev Lim Chee Boon who chaired the meeting made it very clear that New Life does not stand for VPP. I told them that I cannot work with any sponsoring church that does not stand for VPP and does not allow me to teach VPP.

After the meeting, they told me to stop my mission work immediately and not to teach and preach at the mission station anymore.

On 19 May 2016 I flew back to Cambodia. Pr William Goh sent me off at the airport. He passed me US$1400 and told me that this was from his wife and family for house rental to start a new mission station while waiting for a new sponsoring church. He encouraged me to be faithful to the Lord. God will provide for the need. I am thankful to God for Pr William Goh who always encouraged me to stand for God and be faithful in His service and in defending God’s Word.

Praise God for His providential care for mission work in Cambodia. This is the list of love gifts I have received after NLBPC terminated my work in their mission station: (1) 19 May 2016, from Pr William Goh: US$1400; (2) 8 June 2016, from Dn Franco Wong: US$1000; (3) 21 June 2016, from Samuel Eio: US$482; (4) 4 July 2016, from True Life BPC: US$1300; (5) 5 July 2016, from True Life BPC: US$3000. True Life had also given me a love gift of US$800 on 13 May 2016. With the money received from True Life I bought a new motorbike (Honda Dream, 125cc) for US$1900. I also bought more Bibles, chairs, fans, and some other things for the ministry in Siem Reap.

On 4 July 2016, Dr and Mrs Jeffrey Khoo visited my family and the ministry in Siem Reap and gave the church a new name taken from Philippians 2:16. Now the church is called “Word of Life Bible-Presbyterian Church”. Praise and give thanks to God for all things. Please continue to remember us in your prayers.

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor 15:58).