Christianity among the Mongols

by Tony Lambert

Background History

The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region sprawls across the northern borders of China. It is the third largest administrative region in China (after Xinjiang and Tibet). Yet the population of only 24 million is relatively sparse by Chinese standards. Only 3.77 million are Mongols—the overwhelming majority (over 18 million) are Han Chinese. Immigration began at the end of the 19th century but has accelerated in recent decades. Today the capital, Hohhot, with a population of 1.5 million, is like most other Chinese cities.

Yet away from the cities the vast grasslands are still home to the Mongols who have roamed the steppes since well before the times of Genghis Khan. Many still herd sheep and cattle and live in the traditional yurts. Their favorite drink is koumiss—fermented mare’s milk!

Christianity came long ago to the Mongolian steppes, introduced by Nestorian missionaries from Central Asia. However, it died out, and by the end of the 16th century many Mongols had been converted to Lama Buddhism. In fact, Buddhism was introduced to them from Tibet. It was a Mongol chief who in 1578 conferred the title “Dalai Lama” (meaning “Ocean of Wisdom”) on a visiting Tibetan lama. So the title “Dalai Lama” is Mongolian, not Tibetan, in origin.

The influence of Lama Buddhism among the Mongols was strengthened by the line of eight “living Buddhas,” the last of whom died in 1924 after Outer Mongolia fell under Stalinist influence, and Buddhism was ruthlessly stamped out there. In the 19th century and into the 20th century, Western travelers often commented on the decadent state of the monastic establishments in Mongolia, which were rife with homosexuality and syphilis. Vast numbers of the male population entered the monasteries, which led to a drop in population and a lack of economic development.

During the Cultural Revolution (1966-76), Inner Mongolia suffered great hardship and the area was “punished” by having large areas annexed by neighboring provinces (although these were later restored under Deng Xiaoping.) Despite these sufferings, in some ways, Mongols in Inner Mongolia (who far outnumber their kinsmen in what is now independent [Outer] Mongolia—a fact often overlooked by Christian missions) have been able to preserve their culture better than in Outer Mongolia. The original Mongolian script (which is distantly related to Aramaic) is still used extensively in Inner Mongolia whereas in (Outer) Mongolia, for 70 years, the Russian cyrillic alphabet was imposed on the Mongols.

Early missionaries, such as James Gilmour of the London Missionary Society in the late 19th century, traveled vast lengths to bring the gospel to the Mongols, but found them highly resistant. Their nomadic lifestyle, fondness for alcohol and devotion to Lama Buddhism combined to prevent the easy establishment of churches among them. Fiercely proud of their history and culture, today some Mongols are surprised to learn of the ancient roots of Christianity planted centuries ago in Mongolia.

The Church in Mongolia Today

The capital of Inner Mongolia, Hohhot, today has four large Protestant churches which are crowded with thousands of worshippers. The second city, Baotou, had only a dozen believers meeting in a house church about twenty years ago in 1980. However, by 1989 they had built a registered church which could hold 500 people. A year later it was reported that the number of people saved and come to Christ in this church had grown to nearly 1,000.

Last year, the China Christian Council revealed that there were at least 172,000 Protestant believers in Inner Mongolia. (Tianfeng, November 2001) In 1995 there were 108 registered churches as well as 477 more informal registered meeting-points—a total of 585 places of worship. However, by 2000 in the short space of five years the total number of churches and meeting points had grown to 962. (Tianfeng, March 2000) By the end of 2001 the total had increased to over 1,000. (Tianfeng, Nov 2001) This means that each year over the last six years, on average 69 new places of worship have been opened in Inner Mongolia—proof of rapid church growth! There are also many scattered unregistered house churches.

However, the church in Inner Mongolia faces some serious problems. Not least is the very small number of ordained pastors —only eight in 1996. Another is the problem of cults. Also, the attitude of local authorities has sometimes been hostile to the spread of Christianity. In 1991 a house church which had succeeded in meeting throughout the Cultural Revolution was reportedly demolished by the authorities. In December 2001 these difficulties were openly admitted by the TSPM magazine Tianfeng, which stated that in the eastern part of Inner Mongolia Christian meetings were still not recognized by the local authorities.

Inner Mongolia is also a region where the Catholic church is strong. There are about 200,000 Catholics but only about 50 registered churches and over 130 meeting points. There are many “underground” Catholics loyal to the Pope who meet outside the auspices of the Patriotic Catholic Association. There are five Catholic dioceses with four bishops but also three unofficial bishops in Hohhot. (Guide to the Catholic Church in China, June 1997)

The vast majority of Christians in Inner Mongolia are Han Chinese. However, some Mongols have become Christians. There is evidence of Mongol house churches, although in cities Mongols often meet together with the Han. There may be a few thousand Mongol Protestants, although statistics are sketchy. Reports that there are 200,000 are gross exaggeration. There are quite a number of Catholic Mongols, including some priests. In Yimeng, southwest of Hohhot, there are 2,000 Catholic Mongols.

The Holy Spirit has been working powerfully among the Mongols in recent years. There are now thriving churches in Mongolia itself where the gospel is now freely preached after decades of Soviet influence. In China, in Inner Mongolia, as we have seen, there are large Han Chinese churches as well as some Mongol fellowships. However, the vast majority of Mongols still have not heard the good news of Jesus Christ.

Want to Know More?

DID YOU KNOW… that the Keraits (a Mongolian tribe) converted en masse to Nestorian Christianity in 1020 AD?

DID YOU KNOW… that in the 13th century, when the Mongols carved out the largest empire the world has ever seen, leading Mongol statesmen and members of the royal court, including the Queen who was mother of Kublai Khan, converted to Christianity?

DID YOU KNOW… that the Mongol Kublai Khan (reigned 1260-94) invited the Pope to send 100 missionaries to Mongolia and China—and this was one of the world’s greatest lost missionary opportunities?

These and many other fascinating but little known facts are documented in Hugh Kemp’s new book Steppe by Step, published by Monarch Books and OMF.

This tells the story of Mongolia’s Christians—from their ancient roots to today’s vibrant young church. This 540-page book is a mine of information about the Mongols. Order from your local Christian bookshop or from OMF Books 888-663-2665 or www.us.omf.org .

Copyright OMF International