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16 December 2010

Mongolian Christians seek new London venue

A group of Mongolian Christians in London who have a passion to reach others are looking for new accommodation to host their weekly meetings.

The Mongolian Christian Fellowship is a group of around 30 people who meet on Saturday evenings to worship, pray, study the Bible and form community with their fellow Mongolian Christians. 

Bayar Garamtseren, a PhD theology student at Cambridge University who helps lead the church, said the group has been a real blessing since it started in July 2009 with just seven people.

He became a Christian while in Mongolia, shortly after the communist regime fell in 1990. In 1990 there were just 40 Christians in Mongolia, but today there are an estimated 60,000.

"While I was a student, someone told me about a church and so I went along and found the message really appealing. Prior to that I'd had a lot of questions and wanted to know what the purpose of my life was," says Bayar.

"I had looked for answers in different places and in different faiths. I'd tried Buddhism, and looked into world wisdom and wise sayings."

Tugsuu Demberel, who started the fellowship, and currently runs a second in Manchester, also became a Christian in Mongolia in the early 1990s.

"I came to Christ in 1994 when I read an evangelistic booklet. I decided to pray to God to show me more and then went along to the church whose address was listed on the back of it," he says.

"Three days later I became a Christian. Before that I was a very naughty boy and didn't know right from wrong, but with the Bible, there was clear understanding about what God wants from us. My life has completely changed."

Now they are trying to help other Mongolians living in this country by providing fellowship and encouragement, as well as evangelism training to help bring others to Christ. More than half of the fellowship members became Christians in the UK through their outreaches.

Community is a big part of the fellowship for Bayar. He says: "Mongolians living abroad really miss the culture we've come from. At home we're very community orientated and warm and open to each other. We try to provide that same atmosphere in our fellowship."

They have been meeting every weekend, but finding a suitable venue has proved a challenge. They are now hoping to find a church that will let them use a meeting room that can accommodate 40 to 50 people on Saturday evenings for a church meeting either for free or for a small fee. 

They are also looking into the possibility that a mission-minded church or group of churches in London might be interested in adopting them as their ministry to Mongolia and Mongolians in London.

"Christians are growing in Mongolia with more than 600 churches and the Church needs much help in raising leaders and equipping Christians," says Bayar.

If your church can help by providing a venue in Zone 1 or Zone 2 in London on Saturday evenings, please email info@eauk.org and we can put you in touch with the leaders.

Visit www.ukmcf.com for more information.