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God’s people in Central Asia


In the 1860s, God directed the attention of the just emerging evangelical churches in Russia to the peoples in Central Asia. Several leaders of the Russian Baptist movement were exiled to “Turkestan” by the Tsarist government, where they preached to the Muslims in that area. They even translated the New Testament into Turkmen. Also, some Mennonites under Klaas Epp moved there to await the Lord's coming, as promised by their leader. Some of these believers, such as Hermann Janzen, preached the gospel to the locals. It was a “faraway land” ruled by emirs and religious imams, with little interference from the Russian government.

When the Soviets (communists) took control of the Russian empire, they organized collective farms, dug irrigation canals and brought industry to Central Asia, which gave the average worker somewhat better living conditions. The Soviets also exiled Christians to this land. Jenny Maier, the daughter of a Tsarist official, was exiled there, learned the language and preached Jesus Christ to women and old men, and many accepted the Lord. By the end of World War II, many evangelical churches were operating there, especially among the exiled people. These included many German churches, especially Mennonite and Mennonite Brethren.

The fall of communism changed everything. This is the situation today:

Uzbekistan

Population 25,000,000 (50% Uzbek, 12% Russian, 8% Korean) There are 50 registered evangelical churches, including 30 Baptist congregations. (Under the Soviets, most evangelicals in the Soviet Union were forced into the AlI-Union Council of Evangelicals Christians-Baptists.) Officially Uzbekistan maintains freedom of religion, but many restrictions are in place. All Christian missionary activity is banned. Registered churches are allowed to operate, but not house churches. New churches are not registered, and recently a Baptist church in Andizhan was closed by the authorities.

Kyrgyzstan

Population 15,500,000 (65% Kyrgyz, 14% Uzbek, 12.5% Russian) About 150 evangelical churches and independent groups are operating. Of the churches, 18 have services only in Kyrgyzian, 45 have services in Russian, and 32 have services in both languages. The churches can freely share the gospel through street libraries, evangelistic events, home Bible study groups, weekly radio broadcasts (one for children and one for adults), five children's camps (with over 6000 children), children's Bible weeks in 50 towns, church schools (serving 150 street children and orphans) and regular services in orphanages, homes for the aged, boarding schools and prisons. Evangelistic outreaches to 10 new areas are planned for 2001.

Kazakhstan

Population 15,500,000 (53% Kazakh, 32% Russian, 11% Ukrainian, 1% German) Kazakhstan has 500 evangelical churches and independent groups, 269 of them Baptist. There is considerable freedom to spread the gospel. For the last three years, the churches have been cooperating in a program called “Christ for all Kazakhstan”, which attempts to bring God's Word into every home. The young are reached through youth conferences, children's camps and church schools. Recently there has been some opposition, and non-registered churches, Sunday schools and house churches are under pressure to be closed. Yet, more and more Kazakhs are being saved, and several Kazakh churches are actively spreading the gospel among their people.

Tadzhikistan

Population 6,300,000 (50% Tadzhik, 30% Uzbek, 14% Russian) There are 12 registered and 20 non-registered churches, with a total membership of 1,000. The 10-year civil war is a great hindrance to the gospel. Even with a truce agreed on two years ago, relations are very tense. The government officially supports freedom of religion, but on the local level, believers are often cruelly punished. Last year, three churches were blown up by Muslim fundamentalists during services, one evangelical Korean, one Russian Orthodox and one Adventist; 15 people died, over 40 were injured, and the buildings were destroyed. Especially persecuted are Tadzhik believers. Nevertheless, Bible study groups are organized, and Sunday schools and children's Bible camps are working. Churches have been organized in a number of prisons.

Turkmenistan

Population 4,200,000 (85% Turkmen) Turkmenia is the only republic in Central Asia that has declared itself to still be Socialist. Practically, the state functions as a personality cult for President Niyazov. Each morning, everyone at work and in the schools has to swear allegiance to Niyazov. In Ashkhabad, a 30-foot, gold-plated statue of him was erected on a 210-foot tower, and recently he was officially crowned with a golden crown and raised to the position of “Padishah”. He has also written a book containing his moral and political ideas, which was declared holy and is law for every Turkmen. Christians are in a critical position. All churches have been closed, house fellowships are broken up by police, and all believers are blacklisted. Believers are fired from their work, their children are driven from school, families are thrown out of social housing and banned from their hometowns, Turkmen Christians are cruelly beaten by security police, all Christian literature is confiscated, and believers are forced into spying on their fellow Christians.

From reports from local churches, compiled by Heinrich Voth and distributed by Logos Canada. Logos Canada supports 63 missionaries (many of them indigenous) in the former Soviet Union, including 14 in Kyrgyzstan. MBMS International also supports indigenous work in several parts of the former Soviet Union.

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Last modified June 7, 2001.

© 2001 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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