Programs
Cambodian Ministries: Living Fields
Reaching, Bridging and Equipping on an Advancing Front
Overview • Background • Description • Asian Access/Cambodia Country Resource Person • Cambodian Ministry Resource Center Developer • Direct Ministry • Short-Term Goals • Long-Term Goals • Resources Needed • Support Request • Staff
LIVING FIELDS, the ministry of Pastor PoSan Ung, serves the Cambodian community in Greater Boston and beyond.
Pastor PoSan Ung is a missionary with the Emmanuel Gospel Center (EGC) in Boston. He has been examined and approved both by EGC and the Christian Cambodian American Fellowship (CCAF). Within the past decade PoSan has served as the youth pastor for the Attleboro Cambodian Evangelical Church (1994-95) and afterward for the Tremont Temple Baptist Church Cambodian Fellowship (1996-97), as the English-ministry pastor for the Revere Cambodian Evangelical Church (1997) and as a church planter for New Covenant Presbyterian Church (1997-2000). Since 2000, PoSan's ministry extends to church leaders of the Cambodian Christian community from New England to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the land of his birth.
Having lived through the Cambodian Holocaust and grown up directly as a Cambodian refugee, PoSan Ung is uniquely in touch with the Cambodian experience. He survived the Killing Fields, and now he wants to make known the Living Fields by lifting up the Name of Christ Jesus. [top of page]
Once more fields will be bought in this land of which you say, "It is a desolate waste, without men or animals, for it has been handed over to the Babylonians." —Jer. 32:43
Cambodians, like other immigrant groups, settled into an area where there is economic access to start their lives, as well as where they can find a sense of community. The Greater Boston area became such a place for them since the 80s and has the second largest Cambodian population outside Cambodia; however, there are merely a handful of Christians. Thus the Cambodian community is a mission field, in desperate need of enabled, equipped and supported workers. This finding is well established by the "495 Project" that was initiated by Grace Chapel. Since the completion of this research, a targeted ministry has been organized with PoSan Ung, which he calls Living Fields. [top of page]
All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. —Col. 1:6
PoSan Ung is a missionary affiliated with the Emmanuel Gospel Center, with interrelated dimensions of ministry to the Cambodian population in Greater Boston and Cambodia. At present, four major dimensions of ministry have been set up and are being further developed.
Cambodian Minister-at-Large
In this capacity, the directives of the Christian Cambodian American Fellowship can be carried out and a strategic bridge for productive communication with EGC and non-Cambodian partnering churches is established, which will serve to bring about Kingdom responses. For almost two years now, this channel for collaboration helped involve Cambodian Christians in Grace Chapel mission events, e.g., Cambodian Plunge and Cultural and Urban Awareness Emphasis. [top of page]
This year will begin the very first session of Asian Access leadership training for Cambodian pastors in Cambodia. As Asian Access Country Resource Person, PoSan has helped develop this ministry in Cambodia and will continue to serve in providing responsibilities in the areas of budget, curriculum, information and faculty for the ministry in Cambodia. This work creates a strategic network that will foster awareness and efforts among Cambodian churches, both here and in Cambodia.
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The need to develop Cambodian church leaders is now well acknowledged by many segments of God's people, including Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary's urban extension, the Center for Urban Ministerial Education. PoSan's access to the Cambodian churches and to Cambodia open great possibility to gather books, curriculums and other resources to be made available to the Cambodian church leaders directly in their community. However, not only will materials be organized, but development of courses toward entirely contextualized leadership training programs will produce seriously needed "theological literacy" among Cambodian church leaders who are involved in their targeted community.
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Though there is a great amount of work that is called to be done on the Kingdom level, there is also a great need for local or direct ministry work, such as teaching the Word or building a young adult ministry, that demonstrates and models in the Cambodian community.
Vision
"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest?' I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together." —John 4:34-36
PoSan Ung's vision is reaching, bridging, and equipping on an advancing front in the Cambodian world, which is the primary focus. [top of page]
- Creating a Cambodian Ministry Resource Center where Cambodian church leaders can come together for learning and collaboration.
- Creating a Cambodian Ministry Resource Library so that there is access to materials to further their particular church work.
- Identifying and creating effective ministry training curriculum contextualized for the Cambodian community.
- Carrying on-going direct ministry in both Cambodia and in New England, USA.
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- Creating a context for the emergence of a formal Cambodian track of leadership training through GCTS-CUME (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary's Center for Urban Ministerial Education).
- Bridging Kingdom works between Cambodian churches and their homeland ministry.
- Demonstrating direct ministry that nurtures the people of God and that has great vitality.
- Developing Cambodian church leaders both here and in Cambodia.
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For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
—1 Peter 2:6
LIVING FIELDS requires funds to maintain an office location, active research and ministry activities that span New England and back to the homeland mission works in Asia, primarily Cambodia. We pray God will spur His people to response to this need. [top of page]
For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. —1 Cor. 3:9
I am grateful that from the initiative Grace Chapel had taken in doing the "495 Project," coupled with an expressed continuing interest, steps have been taken that helped to birth this ministry effort to the Cambodian world. I would ask that you pray for LIVING FIELDS and consider giving your generous gift to this work, a very needed support for a very needed ministry.
Thank you!
PoSan Ung [top of page]
- , Director, Cambodian Ministries
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