A Passion for Serving

My name is Meng Top. I arrived in the United States as a refugee in May 1981. Later that year, around the end of 1981, I visited the First United Methodist Church as an unbeliever, seeking to learn English and find support. At the time, there was a Cambodian Sunday School, but we worshiped together in the main sanctuary.
In October 1982, I got married to my lovely wife, Narin Top. In May 1986, I became a born-again Christian and accepted Jesus Christ into my life.
In November 1989, a missionary named Mr. Pat Brown suggested that we start our own Cambodian worship service. He offered to help by preaching on Sunday mornings with an interpreter translating into Khmer. Pastor Pat Brown preached for about six months, but he eventually had to leave for missionary work. His departure left the Cambodian Fellowship group without a leader, so the interpreter stepped up, and I helped by teaching Sunday School.
In 1992, I felt a calling to ministry. My senior pastor, Dr. Paul Morrell, planned to send me to Asbury School of Theology in Kentucky, but I declined due to language barriers and personal circumstances. However, in 1994, there was an opportunity to enroll in the Courses of Study program at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. My pastor registered me for the program, and I had to attend one full month each year at Perkins while studying full-time. As the program required, I quit my job and focused on my studies.
After completing the pastor’s licensing class, the Dallas-Denton District appointed me as a local pastor. I began pastoring the Cambodian group in 1995 with a stipend of $160 per month. During this time, my wife worked to support our family while I attended school and served the church. The church covered the costs of the Courses of Study program.
I graduated from the Courses of Study program at Perkins School of Theology in July 1998. In 1999, our Cambodian Fellowship asked the mother church if we could keep our own offerings, and I stopped receiving the $160 per month salary. From then on, I served God voluntarily.
In April 2002, we made the decision to purchase an old house and convert it into a worship space. In January 2003, we moved into our new church building. In 2005, we built a new sanctuary. In April 2008, we added a fellowship hall with a kitchen.
In 2011, a new superintendent was appointed to our district. He requested that I strictly follow the rules and policies of the United Methodist Church, which was difficult for me as a volunteer pastor, not a full-time one. Tensions grew, and I considered leaving the UMC, but some members of the congregation wanted to stay.
On June 30, 2013, we met with the bishop and superintendent. Although the bishop wanted to reappoint me, I made the decision to leave the UMC. I was officially free from the United Methodist Church by the week of July 4, 2013.
On Sunday, July 7, 2013, 37 members of our congregation left the UMC and gathered to worship in a garage, provided by one of our group members. We started from scratch, with not even enough chairs for everyone.
Due to the small size of the garage and issues with neighbors, we began looking for a new place to worship. We were about to sign a contract for a new space when one of our members suggested we speak with her husband, who was involved in an investment business. After discussing with him, he kindly allowed us to use his training room for worship on Sundays, free of charge.
On August 11, 2013, we moved into the new building and continued our worship there.