Pentecostalism in Mongolia

Abstract

Abstract Pentecostal missionaries arrived in Mongolia as early as 1910 but the socialist government expelled all missionaries in 1924. By the time socialism collapsed in 1990, there were no more than 20 Christians in the whole nation. However, estimates suggest that there are now around 100,000 adherents, most of whom are Pentecostal. While some scholars have analysed the history of Christianity in Mongolia, little research has explored this significant subset. Mongolia Assemblies of God (MAOG—Монголын Бурханы Чуулган) was one of the first and fastest growing Christian denominations. It currently comprises around 2000 adherents, as well as over 200 graduates from its ministry training college. Using MAOG as a case study, this research argues that the rise of Pentecostalism in Mongolia is owing to its ‘ends of the earth’ mission; cultural protest movement; lure of modernity; imagined community; empowerment through transnational mobility; theology of divine ‘calling’; and contribution toward civil society.