Biblical Background
Secular History
The peoples of Mongolia have a long history under a number of nomadic empires dating back to the Xiongnu in the 4th century B.C., and the name Mongol goes back to at least the 11th century A.D. The most famous Mongol, TEMÜÜJIN (aka Genghis Khan), emerged as the ruler of all Mongols in the early 1200s. By the time of his death in 1227, he had created through conquest a Mongol Empire that extended across much of Eurasia. His descendants, including ÖGÖDEI and KHUBILAI (aka Kublai Khan), continued to conquer Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the rest of China, where KHUBILAI established the Yuan Dynasty in the 1270s.
Until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, Mongolia was a Soviet satellite state and relied heavily on economic, military, and political assistance from Moscow.
Mongolia peacefully transitioned to an independent democracy in 1990. In 1992, it adopted a new constitution and established a free-market economy.
Religious demographics
The country has an area of 604,247 square miles and a population of ≈3.5M. Buddhism and the country’s cultural traditions are closely linked. When government controls on religion and on traditional practices ended in 1990, there was an increase in Buddhist activity. Local scholars claim that more than 90% of all citizens ascribe to some form of Buddhism, although practice varies widely. Lamaist Buddhism of the Tibetan variety is the traditional and dominant religion.
Ethnic Kazakhs, most of whom are Muslim, are the largest ethnic minority, constituting approximately 6% of the population nationwide and 80% in the western province of Bayan-Olgiy. Muslims operate approximately 40 mosques in Bayan-Olgiy and 4 Islamic centres in Ulaanbaatar, serving nearly 3,000 students combined. The mosques and Islamic centres receive financial assistance from religious organizations in Kazakhstan, Turkey, and the Gulf States.
There is a small but growing number of Christians. Church officials estimate that more than 4% of the population practice Christianity, of which an estimated 90% are Protestant and 9% are members of the Mormons. RCs and members of the Russian Orthodox Church together account for the remaining 1%. Some citizens practice shamanism, often in tandem with another religion, but there are no reliable statistics on their number.
Throughout the country, there were 432 registered places of worship, 217 of which were Buddhist, 161 were Christian, 44 were Muslim, and 5 each were Baha’i and shamanistic. During the period covered by this report, the Ministry registered 18 churches, 20 mosques, and 3 shaman temples. Evangelical Christians estimated that there were 250 unregistered evangelical churches throughout the country.
Intercessory Overview
Prayer Points
- The difficult economic situation, a major challenge for the government, deeply affects every aspect of life – employment, education, children’s welfare and others. The very feasibility of traditional nomadic pastoralism is under threat. “Insider capitalism” yields great wealth for a few but gripping poverty for many others. Failing to address this adequately has already caused the collapse of one government. Pray that the leaders of Mongolia might rule with fairness and wisdom.
- Mongolia’s traditional religions, Lamaistic Buddhism and shamanism, have experienced resurgence since independence. Buddhism numerically dominates, but most do not understand it well. Deeper in the Mongolian psyche are beliefs in shamanism, traditional ethnic superstitions and even occult practices. Increasing numbers of Mongolians, especially younger ones, are consulting shamans for help with health, finance and relationship issues. Pray that Mongolians might find complete liberation and have transformed lives through following the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Developing Mongolian church leaders is a strategic need and the key to strengthening the Church. Good training is central to this – most churches, especially rural ones, desperately need biblically astute leaders and teachers. There are eight Bible colleges, mainly denominational in character. The largest is the interdenominational Union Bible Theological College, which focuses on training church leaders. There are also other Bible training centres, run by local churches and missions. Given the country’s vast size and rapid church growth, developing a TEE programme that serves the far-flung congregations is possibly the Mongolian Church’s greatest need. Pray for the right models of leadership and appropriate support structures to develop, from high-level academic study to informal training of laity.
- The expatriate Christian workforce has a significant role to play. Many, as members of NGOs, focus on aid and development. Missionaries are now shifting from evangelism and discipleship to helping train and serve the Mongolian church to rightly assume those roles. Joint Christian Services (a network of nearly 15 Western-based agencies) and another umbrella group of Korean agencies are striving to coordinate work, along with the MEA and other Christian groups. Most work is based in Ulaanbaatar, but increasingly is moving into rural areas – pray for this to continue. Pray especially for unity among agencies, long-term commitment, willingness to truly learn and adapt to Mongolian culture and close, humble relationships of trust with Mongolian leaders. Pray also that openness in Mongolia continues so that Christian ministry can carry on.
- Bible translation is a very important issue. One main translation is used by most churches and is currently being revised. A couple of other translations exist, one using a different set of religious vocabulary. Pray for increased use of Scripture by Mongolians and for the Holy Spirit to teach, grow and guide many through God’s Word. Braille Bibles and audio Scriptures are available for those unable to read.
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