Mongolians Aim to Minister to Regions Formerly Conquered by Genghis Khan

AIMS News: Posted 8/1/2005

When "Dzaya" first entered an unreached tribe in Northwest China several years ago, the villagers greeted her in anger. As the descendants of Genghis Khan's Mongol guards, they didn't understand why the Mongolian government had abandoned them after the fall of Genghis Khan's empire in the 13th century. They picked up rocks and tried to stone her.

An art teacher from Karakorum, the former capital of Genghis Khan's Mongol empire, Dzava wasn't discouraged. When she returned, they were less hostile, but still skeptical. After several visits, they now receive her warmly and are beginning to open up to her. Today, Dzava and other Mongolian church leaders have a passion to take the Gospel every place formerly conquered by Genghis Khan, including Northern India, Tibet, China, North Korea, and Siberia.

"The Mongolian Church has a vision for strategic missions," said "Abraham," AIMS Director of Strategic Development. "They cannot fathom that there are people around the world who call themselves Christians and don't obey the Great Commission of Jesus Christ."

A Growing Missions Movement

Although still in its infancy, the Mongolian Church has grown exponentially. According to Operation World, only four known Christians lived in Mongolia in 1989 (1). Today, that number has grown to more than 30,000 believers.

Their interest in missions has increased with their growth. In 2003, when Dr. Howard Foltz (founder and president of AIMS) led the first inter-denominational missions conference in Mongolia, 30 church leaders and missionaries attended. When an AIMS team returned for a follow-up conference in 2004, 100 believers including participants from 16 out of the 26 unreached people groups in the country attended. When they realized that representatives from other tribes were present, they began to seek healing and reconciliation for centuries of cultural strife. In May 2005, Abraham and "Josiah," AIMS Director of Equipping for the Harvest, led a third training in Mongolia with two complete tracks. About 130 Mongolian leaders and laypersons participated.

"When I asked the group who had been a Christian for more than 15 years, not one hand went up," said Josiah. "Yet, these people are further ahead in their missions understanding than any group of people I have ever worked with.""The participants left this year feeling confident that they could go out and begin planting churches," said Abraham.

Funding Missions through Local Businesses

Many of the Mongolian leaders who attended the conference believe that their missions efforts should be self-funded. Dzara plans to use her art training to sell handicrafts to tourists visiting Karakorum. "If Genghis Khan can fund his efforts in conquering Asia, then we should be able to fund our efforts to win them for Christ!"AIMS plans to return in 2006 to help the Mongolian leaders further develop their missions resources and business plans. The conference will include the two tracks of Equipping for the Harvest as well as a business development track to help them form ideas and a business strategy to raise money for missions. Plans are being made to include a mobilization consultation to network leaders who have already begun missions sending agencies. The forum will help them share ideas and work together towards a greater harvest.

"The Mongolians see themselves as having a tremendous missions calling," said Abraham. "Next year, they plan on having converts from every unreached people group present at the conference."

(1) Patrick Johnstone and Jason Mandryk, Operation World: When We Pray, God Works, 21st Century Edition (Waynesboro, GA: Paternoster USA) 2001, p.452.

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