Ross Rennie

Rev Ross Rennie

Rev Ross Rennie is Director of Cambodian Communities out of Crisis.

Ross's Life Story

I was born in Plymouth, Devon, England, one of seven children. My father was an electrical engineer, working in power stations in various parts of the UK, so he was away from home most of the time. My mother was the dominant one in my family.

My childhood was not a happy one as I was a very small boy. This meant that I was bullied both at school and at home. As a result I became a loner, spending a lot of time on my own. What is more, I could not read until I was 11. By the time I was 14, I found I could con people and in some ways use them to get what I wanted.

At the age of 17 I joined the British Army. I wanted to go in to the Tank Regiment but I was one inch too small, so I enlisted in the Royal Artillery, where once again I was bullied - this time by the bombardiers and some of the men. When I was 18 years old I was sent to Northern Ireland, but after two tours I was medically discharged because of the troubles.

At 20 I married my first wife. The marriage was a disaster from start to finish, but the good things that came out of the marriage were my daughter Harriet and my son Joseph. Although I was married for 13 years altogether, my wife and I separated after about five years. I tried to mend my marriage, but some things will not mend. The separation led to an acrimonious divorce and, to my great regret, an estrangement from my two children that has lasted to this day.

During the separation a major change had come into my life.

I was on my way to kill myself, but God had his hand on my life. I was in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, when I walked in to a evangelical bookshop at the side of a Brethren Church and asked for a priest. As far as I was concerned, the only (so-called) Christians were priests. I was told that the church did not have a priest, just a minister, so I asked to see him.

He gave me food and drink, then he read to me from a book called Pilgrim's Progress. Next he opened the Bible to John 3v16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." He asked me, "Who do you think the 'whosoever' is?"

I replied, "Those do gooders who go to church but will not even give you the time of day."

"No," said the minister. "The 'whosoever' are the broken-hearted like you."

I then cried as I had never cried for many years. "I need this Jesus. Can He help me? I have been so wicked," I thought.

So it was that I became a born-again Christian. In my forthcoming book you will be able to read more about what led up to this most miraculous event in my life.

Over the years in the church as I was growing I made many mistakes by not always listening to God. I feel that because of my background I was never given the opportunities for one reason or another, but I am glad God opened doors that no man can shut. Some people try to, but they are wasting their time, and sadly wasting God's time too.

At the age of 35 I enrolled at the Elim Bible College (now Regents Theological College), Nantwich. On 10th July 1994 I graduated with a 68% pass and immediately took a leap of faith by setting off on my first visit to Cambodia.

On this five-week trip Cambodian Communities out of Crisis (CCC) was born. I was to experience the greatest outpouring of the Holy Spirit that I had ever encountered. I believe this changed the whole of the Cambodian church. At that time there were few churches; now there are over 2,000 throughout the country with over 200,000 members.

My work with CCC has taken me back to Cambodia on a number of occasions; on three of those the devil has tried to kill me.

• In 1996 I was standing on the Monivong Bridge, Phnom Penh, photographing the floods around the Bassac River, when someone approached me and pointed a gun at me. I jumped on a passing motor cycle taxi and escaped with my life.
• In 1998 I was standing outside Tuol Tumpoung Market in Phnom Penh when a motor cycle pulling a trailer loaded with charcoal careered towards me. Miraculously, my slightly built escort lifted me bodily out of the way.
• In 2000, while in Cambodia, I caught food poisoning. I struggled through my visit and managed to get home to England. I was admitted to hospital and diagnosed to be infected with Campylobacter. I lost 50% of my body weight but by God's grace and thanks to the skill of consultant Geoff Hutchinson I survived.

Increasingly my work takes me to different countries around the world: Spain, Germany, Austria, Thailand, South Africa....

There is much more to my story which you will be able to read about in my forthcoming book, to be dedicated to the Cambodian church. I would love to visit your club, church, home group or any other kind of gathering to talk about my life story and about Cambodia. Please contact me if you would like me to come.

God bless you as you read this.
I hope it inspires you to get involved in God's mission to Cambodia.

If so, contact Cambodian Communities out of Crisis for more details. We are looking for volunteers, and God can use you.

You can email Ross at ross.rennie@cambcomm.org.uk

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