J.D. and Kim Crowley:
Missionaries to the Unreached in Cambodia

J.D. Crowley was raised in Japan and Hawaii, the son of missionaries Dale and Mary Crowley, while his wife Kim grew up in South Carolina. Both came to faith in Christ at a young age, and their lives have been marked by a deep and enduring call to serve the unreached. After meeting in college, J.D. and Kim were married in 1980, and shortly afterward, they moved to Hawaii, where J.D. served as pastor of Keaʻau Bible Church for 12 years.

Although fruitful in pastoral ministry, their hearts were increasingly burdened for people groups with little or no access to the Gospel. In 1994, that call became a reality when Hampton Park Baptist Church in Greenville, South Carolina, commissioned them as missionaries to serve among unreached people groups. After completing a year of intensive missionary training with New Tribes Mission (now Ethnos360), the Crowleys connected with EMU International to pursue long-term missionary service in Asia. At the time, EMU had a growing presence in Chile and other parts of the world, but no missionaries serving in tribal contexts or in Asia. After months of prayer and consideration, the EMU Board of Directors welcomed J.D. and Kim as the organization’s first missionaries to Southeast Asia.

Their initial focus was on language development among the Tampuan people, an ethnic minority group in northeast Cambodia. One of their primary goals was to reduce the Tampuan language to writing—a foundational step toward translating the Bible and establishing effective Gospel ministry. Despite numerous linguistic, cultural, and bureaucratic challenges, they successfully developed a written system for the Tampuan language during their first two terms on the field.

Over the years, the Crowleys have witnessed and participated in the remarkable growth of the church in Cambodia. More than 50 churches have been planted across five different language groups in Ratanakiri Province and the surrounding region. In 1999, J.D. founded the Ratanakiri Bible School, a training center for both tribal and Khmer church leaders. Today, the school is largely operated by indigenous leaders, a testimony to the success of their long-term vision of national leadership and sustainability.

In addition to pastoral training and church planting, J.D. and Kim have been instrumental in the creation and distribution of doctrinally sound Christian literature, written and translated into Cambodian and tribal languages with cultural sensitivity and biblical accuracy. These resources are designed to equip Southeast Asian believers to understand, teach, and live out the truths of Scripture.

J.D. is also a prolific author and translator. His published works include:

• The Kingdom of God: Studies in Matthew – available in both Khmer and English

• Commentary on Romans for Cambodia and Asia – English edition available on Amazon

• Tampuan–Khmer–English Dictionary – a vital linguistic tool for translation and communication

• Gospel Meditations for Missions – co-authored and available on Amazon

Through decades of service, J.D. and Kim Crowley have remained faithful to their original calling—to bring the Gospel to those who have never heard, to train up national leaders, and to leave a legacy of strong, self-sustaining churches among Cambodia’s tribal peoples.