From Hearing to Knowing: Cambodian Women Embrace God’s Word

“Women of the Word 2026” gathered 180 Cambodian women—mothers, daughters, grandmothers, and students—each carrying full lives and full schedules, yet coming hungry to know God more deeply. Together, they sat under the teaching of Jenny Manley—author, speaker, and co-host of the Priscilla Talk podcast—who faithfully opened the Scriptures and called women not just to hear God’s Word, but to study it for themselves.

There was a shared recognition in the room: so often, women feel theology belongs to someone else—pastors, leaders, or husbands. But over those two days, that narrative was gently and powerfully undone. Women were reminded that knowing God through His Word is not optional, not secondary, and not beyond reach—it is a vital calling for every believer, including them, in their unique roles within the church and the family.

On the second day, something even more special happened. A smaller group of 30 women gathered closely around tables, Bibles open and pens in hand. Together, they practiced how to study Scripture—asking good questions, tracing context, and learning how to move from understanding the text to letting it transform their lives. It wasn’t just teaching anymore—it was ownership.

Alongside this gathering, another milestone is unfolding.

Right now, a new book is being printed in Khmer—a resource created especially for women here. Women of the Word, by Jen Wilkin, calls women to pursue biblical literacy: a steady, intentional knowing of God through His Word. For many, it will be the first resource of its kind in their own language—a guide not just to read the Bible, but to truly understand it. It speaks directly into the reality many women face—busy lives filled with responsibilities, where deep study can feel overwhelming or out of reach.

As these books begin to roll off the press and into the hands of Cambodian women, and as the echoes of this conference continue in homes, churches, and quiet personal study, there is a growing hope that women will not only hear the Word, but handle it—not only admire Christ from afar, but be transformed as they behold Him.