To the Ends of the Earth!

To the Ends of the Earth!
John R. Petrilli

It’s not often that you can meet a person from the ancient land of Mongolia (Central Asia). But such a rare opportunity recently presented itself as I was introduced to Ganbat Shileg. Ganbat pastors a church in Outer Mongolia. Here is what I was able to learn about life in Mongolia and Ganbat’s work there.

JP: Could you please begin by telling us a little about your back ground?

GS: I was born in independent Outer Mongolia. I grew up in one of the largest towns in Mongolia and was educated there. I was raised in an atheistic, communist country and lived in the home of a member of the Communist Party. My wife Chantsalsuren [nicknamed ‘Chok’] was also born in Outer Mongolia. She became a Christian in 1996 when God used the single word, ‘righteous’, to arouse her spiritual curiosity and bring her to church to hear a gospel preacher from India where she put her trust in Jesus Christ. We have four children, two boys and twin girls.

JP: Please share with us your ministry in Mongolia and how God led you into it?

GS: I’ve been the pastor of the Amazing Grace Church for the past ten years. It’s located in the capital city of Ulan Batar, which has a population of about 1.3 million people. The church has 50 adults and 40 kids. I was saved in 1992 through the witness of an English language teacher. I went to England in 1996 to study English and Bible for one year at the Cornhill Training Course in London, England. I’ve have been involved in Christian ministry since I was eighteen when I did street evangelism and shared my testimony. God gave me a love for His Word and enabled me to teach it to others.

JP: Most Americans are unfamiliar with the people and culture of Mongolia. Can you expand our knowledge of your nation?

GS: Mongolia is almost the size of Alaska. It has 2.7 million people and 50 million cattle. [The topography includes] mountains, lakes and plains, as well as the Gobi desert. We have camels with two humps, not just one hump. Genghis Khan ruled Mongolia in the 12th and 13th century. At that time it was the largest empire in the world. Under Khan the country extended south to India, west to Hungary, and east to the Japanese Sea. Mongolians are Asians but we have our own bloodlines. There are three big cities, Ulan Batar is the largest, with almost 40 percent of the country’s population living there. It’s a very modern city [its high-end apartments are like those found on Fifth Avenue in New York.] The wealth comes from cattle farming, gold mining, silver mining, copper mining, minerals, oil, and natural gas. The country is on the verge of a major economic breakthrough, we just need more corporate investment to develop our industrial infrastructure. We’ve always been an independent country, even when we were a Russian protectorate. In 1998 we became a constitutionally-based country. [Social advances gained under the Soviet Union’s policy of “perestroika” opened the doors to greater freedom to preach the gospel in Mongolia.] The major religions are Buddhism and Shamanism. [Mongolian Christians are willing to travel great distances by foot to attend services, they’re very loving and receptive to strangers, and are generous and joyful in their giving.]

JP: What are your long and short term ministry objectives?

GS: Mongolia is now an open country and we want to reach as many people as possible, so evangelism is the big challenge. Also, there’s a great need for pastoral training, we want train many men to be enriched and to minister to their families, their churches and their country. We currently have a church-based Bible Institute with 15 students. In 2013 we hope to have a special one to two-week pastoral training seminar with 25 young pastors. It will feature the use of translated materials dealing with leadership training. We have the Bible in the Mongolian language [google “James Gilmour, Mongolian Bible translator”] and Christian books are being translated, but we have a great need for Christian press and literature to help people think broadly. [Communist policies required Mongolians to learn how to read, so the population is 90% literate.] Long term objectives also include reaching out into countries beyond our borders to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kurdistan and all the ‘istan’ countries.

JP: What is the purpose of your current trip to the United States?

GS: I met brother Suresh Thiagarajan (co-pastor of International Assembly in Syracuse) in 1992 during one of his 13 trips to Mongolia. Suresh’s brother-in-law, Ramesh Richard, is a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary. We attended a conference Ramesh held in Dallas, Texas for 99 third world pastors and 62 wives from 52 countries. We discussed what we could do in the next ten years, and pledged ourselves to fulfilling those objectives.

JP: Gabat, how can our readers support you in their prayers?

GS: Pray for the pastoral ministry in Mongolia to increase and develop their leadership skills. That families will be strengthened, and for Bible Institute’s to be raised up to train others. [The nation of Mongolia is sending out a call for Christians to come there to help build the Church.]

Before Jesus left our planet for Heaven He made it abundantly clear that He wanted His Church to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. We’ve heard from Gabat Shileg, a man of God who has come from the ends of the earth to receive more training. Now he and his wife return to Mongolia with a vision to take what they’ve learned and use it, in turn, to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth. We wish them Godspeed!