Key points:
- Global Ministries’ Asia Mission Leaders’ Summit in Cambodia highlighted collaboration, empowerment and the Spirit’s call to shared mission.
- Attendees received a comprehensive overview of the Methodist Church in Cambodia, which became a provisional annual conference in 2018 and is moving toward becoming an independent Methodist Church by 2027.
- Other ministries lifted up include educational initiatives — particularly for girls and young women — as well as projects that provide greater access to groundwater and improve sanitation.
United Methodist mission leaders serving across Asia gathered Oct. 20-22 for three days of prayer, reflection and collaboration at the Asia Mission Leaders’ Summit, hosted by the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.
Representatives from Cambodia, Mongolia and two other Southeast Asia countries shared stories of growth, challenge and resilience — celebrating how mission has evolved from foreign-led projects to locally empowered ministries that embody faith, community and hope. Together, they strengthened partnerships and envisioned the next chapter of United Methodist mission in the region.
The gathering, held at the Cambodia office of Global Ministries and Hope Vocational School, combined pastoral care with strategic planning.
The Rev. Paul Kong, Global Ministries’ Asia-Pacific regional representative, told attendees, “Mission is God’s work. Despite challenges, we affirm that God continues to call and sustain us.”
Darlene Marquez-Caramanzana, a Global Ministries area liaison for Asia and the Pacific, pointed out that leadership can be isolating. “But,” she said, “God calls us to live and serve in community — to support and strengthen one another.”
Helen de Leon Carmarce, a Global Ministries missionary and Cambodia mission coordinator, presented a comprehensive overview of the Methodist Church in Cambodia, tracing the church’s journey from missionary dependence to local leadership and self-sustainability and describing it as “a church of hope that empowers its people.”
Carmarce explained that the Cambodian church — born of cooperation among five Methodist denominations: The United Methodist Church (Global Ministries), the Korean Methodist Church, the Methodist Church in Singapore, the World Federation of Chinese Methodist Churches and Connexio (the mission agency of United Methodists in France and Switzerland) — is now moving toward becoming an independent Methodist Church by 2027.
Milestones along the way include the appointment of Cambodia’s first local mission superintendent in 2015 and the establishment of a provisional annual conference in 2018.
Carmarce also highlighted a scholarship program that now supports more than 100 students annually — 85% of them women.
“Education is transforming our girls’ lives — and through them, our communities,” she said, referring to church scholarship programs and the Susanna Wesley Dormitory, which provides a safe home for young women pursuing university studies.
Through the Community Health and Agricultural Development initiative, the Cambodian church has reached 83 villages — training pastors, drilling deep wells and forming women’s savings groups that invest and grow together. Other ministries include the Street Children Ministry and Moriah Vocational Center, which equip parents and youth with marketable skills.
“Empowerment begins when local people own their future,” Carmarce said. “That’s what mission should look like. Our mission is not to stay, but to empower others so that God’s work continues through them.”
Kong affirmed the spiritual discipline that sustains the Cambodian church’s growth.
“When all staff begin every morning with prayer and Scripture together,” he said, “they become a family — and that trust leads to genuine collaboration.”
Reporting from Southeast Asia, D.K. described steady progress amid significant legal constraints. The mission now includes 63 congregations and 17 cell groups across six provinces. With support from Global Ministries and the Wesley Foundation of Japan, groundwater access is expanding and sanitation is improving.
“Groundwater and toilets may sound simple,” D.K. said, “but they represent dignity and health for the people.”
A pilot Sunday school program launched in three congregations this year has produced the first locally developed 52-week curriculum for children’s ministry.
“If we fail to educate our children today,” D.K. added, “we lose our pastors for tomorrow.”
While official government recognition remains elusive, complicating property ownership and requiring strict transparency in finance and staffing, D.K. remains hopeful: “The vision is big, but so is our God.”
Marquez-Caramanzana encouraged the team to keep innovating.
“The Spirit gives us power to find new ways when one path seems impossible,” she said.
The Rev. Dee Stickley-Miner, Global Ministries’ executive director for Mission Engagement, affirmed the balance between faith and strategy.
“Your strategic mind and deep spirituality will guide you through these challenges,” she said.
The Mongolia Mission Initiative continues its journey toward sustainability through bold restructuring, reported the Rev. Dexter F. Ceballos, the initiative’s country director. The mission supports 11 local churches — most owning their land and buildings — and has active youth and women’s ministries.
“In Mongolia, we don’t need women’s empowerment,” Ceballos joked, “we need men’s empowerment!”
He noted that about 80% of churches use the Korean-developed His Show Sunday school curriculum.
Ceballos highlighted recent milestones such as the ordination of Pastor R. Jargaltsetseg by Bishop Jeremiah Park and the launch of a new faith community in remote Zavkhan Province, 635 miles west of Ulaanbaatar.
“Big buildings may be cold,” he said, referring to Mongolia’s long winters, “but our people’s hearts are warm.”
The Mongolia Mission Initiative’s RESET strategy seeks to identify and strengthen leaders, educate and equip them, streamline structures and reduce dependence on external funding.
“Resetting takes courage,” Marquez-Caramanzana said. “It’s easier to do what’s familiar, but pausing to listen for God’s new direction is an act of faith.”
In another Southeast Asia country (unnamed for security reasons), the mission continues to invest in education as a pathway to dignity and discipleship while navigating rapid social change. In the country’s largest city, Charis Academy serves children without legal documentation who are unable to enroll in public schools.
“The difference those three years have made since the school opened is amazing,” said J.P., mission coordinator for the country. “They come to us as nonbelievers and leave as students of faith.”
Charis Academy recently opened what staff believe to be the first open-access community library in the city, stocked with English-language books donated by visiting mission teams.
“Each book, each class, each changed heart is a seed, and God will bring the growth,” J.P. said.
Looking ahead, the Methodist Church in that country is developing its own constitution and polity, preparing to register as a recognized religious body with the national government.
“Independence should not mean isolation,” J.P. said. “We are thankful for this vision. We are learning to walk in unity, trust and faith.”
Stickley-Miner emphasized that the heart of mission lies in accompaniment.
“Mission is not about control; it’s about being present and trusting that God is already at work,” she said. “You see beauty in children and families whom society too often calls expendable. That is the heart of Jesus made visible.”
Reflecting on the summit, Marquez-Caramanzana said that there’s a lot to celebrate in the work of missionaries and staff across these missions.
Subscribe to our
e-newsletter
“They are engaging in life-changing initiatives — establishing congregations, providing leadership formation and developing community programs that build capacity and resources,” she said. “The will to persevere despite challenges is always there, holding onto the hope that God’s mission will always continue.”
Stickley-Miner said the summit deepened both community and purpose among participants.
“The work that each of these leaders does is not only sacred but challenging and often isolating,” she said. “The work of community building requires colleagues who can empathize in struggles and celebrations — offering encouragement, support and challenge.
“They left more connected and knowing they are supported by Global Ministries.”
Kong, who organized the summit, echoed that unity of spirit.
“This summit has been a sacred space for listening, learning and discerning together,” he said. “Each country has its own challenges and opportunities, but what unites us is the Spirit’s call to be one mission movement grounded in mutual trust and empowerment.”
He added, “I was deeply encouraged to see local leaders taking ownership of ministries once initiated by missionaries. The future of mission in Asia is not dependency but interdependence. That’s what this gathering affirmed for all of us.”
Kim is director of Korean and Asian news at United Methodist Communications. Contact him at 615-742-5470 or newsdesk@umnews.org. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free UM News Digest.
