When Pastor Liu Zhiliang (劉志良) looked at Cambodia’s landscape of evangelism, he saw a gap—one that left 20 ethnic minority groups largely unreached. Instead of venturing into remote villages, he found an unexpected mission field: the capital city’s university dormitories.
“As Apostle Paul points out, we are not called to build on someone else’s foundation,” said Liu, the volunteer lead pastor of Hongguang Bread of Life Church (柬埔寨宏光靈糧堂). “We should go to places where the gospel has not yet been preached.”
Since Cambodia’s liberation from the Khmer Rouge regime in 1979, mission organizations have prioritized the Khmer people, who make up 95% of the country’s population. But while Christianity has grown among them, ethnic minorities in remote areas remain untouched by the gospel. Liu’s mission aims to change that—by bringing the gospel to students in Phnom Penh who will, in turn, take it back to their villages.
A Strategic Approach to Missions
Liu’s approach follows a model known as diaspora missiology, which capitalizes on migration patterns to reach people where they are. In September 2023, he established a student church with an attached dormitory, recruiting seven wandering Christian students and hiring a local minister to guide them. The goal: to create a mission-driven church that equips young believers to evangelize among their own people groups.
The dormitory recruits academically promising but financially disadvantaged students from Cambodia's ethnic minority groups. These students struggle with the high cost of living in Phnom Penh, many of them are forced to give up on their studies. Others work long hours while attending night classes, but their performance is stunted by fatigue. The ministry's dorms provide housing, tuition, and living expenses, allowing students to focus on their studies while engaging in Bible teaching and discipleship.
Building Bridges for the Gospel
After four years of training, these students will graduate not only with degrees but with a deeper understanding of their faith, ready to bring the gospel to their communities. Currently, half of the 25 dormitory residents come from the Prow, Jarai, and Pnong ethnic groups, with plans to expand outreach to all 20 minority groups.
Beyond biblical training, students are encouraged to engage in outreach efforts, including evangelism in slums, tutoring underprivileged children, and serving in local ministries. “This is not just about education,” Liu said. “It’s about transforming students into missionaries who will bring the gospel back to their own people.”
A Vision for Long-Term Impact
By focusing on university students from unreached backgrounds, Liu believes this dormitory model has the potential to accelerate gospel spread across Cambodia. “This is a way to serve multiple ethnic groups simultaneously,” he said. “We are investing in the next generation of leaders who will take the gospel further than we ever could.”
He urged believers to seek creative strategies in their own mission fields and to remain sensitive to God’s leading. “We must not quench the Spirit’s prompting,” he said. “Missions require both faith and adaptability.”
Through this initiative, Liu and his team hope to lay a foundation for long-term gospel impact, one student at a time.
