Pray for Kyrgyzstan
(Info from Operation World, 7th ed)
Population 5.6 million. Christians 5.2%. Evangelical Christians 0.7%.
Largest Religion Muslim.
Fastest Growing Religion Muslim.
• The government needs courage, resources, and even miracles to make right the economy and society. The regimes that followed Communism have so far only brought more corruption, crime, and poverty. Many people migrate from rural to urban areas, which results in large slum populations in Bishkek. Others leave the country to find work. Pray for Christians to find good, legal jobs. High rates of alcoholism, drug trafficking, gambling, and prostitution create huge challenges. The poor, elderly, and disabled suffer the most. Pray that believers can address these challenges, and positively affect their society and economy.
• The vast majority of Kyrgyz are Muslim by culture, but underneath the surface most people fear the “evil eye”, use charms, and practise ancestor worship. The occult, demonic forces, and shamans hold great influence. Muslim missionaries from several nations come to strengthen and purify Islam. Pray for believers to stand firm, and to demonstrate the power and love of Christ. Kyrgyzstan has more religious freedom than many nearby countries, even with its government restrictions. Ask God to increase the harvest of believers among the peoples of Kyrgyzstan!
• Christianity was limited to the non-indigenous communities before 1990 (mostly Russians, Ukrainians, Germans), but Kyrgyz believers now form a significant proportion of the nation’s Christians! Only 45 Protestant congregations existed in 1990, but now they number almost 300, and many more with the illegal house churches included. More churches now worship in Kyrgyz, with many effective Kyrgyz Christian leaders. Pray for unity and cooperation among the different denominations, cultures, and ethnicities.
• Missionary concern grows among believers of Kyrgyzstan, for their own people, for other Central Asian peoples, and beyond. Several hundred expatriate Christians (from Asia, the Americas, and Europe) have jobs in this country, and seek to minister sensitively. The greatest potential for service may be in community development, medical services, and business. Pray for the less evangelized, who mostly live in rural areas:
• The partly nomadic Kyrgyz usually live in more remote villages. Few have heard of Christ.
• The Fergana Valley (south) spans also across Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The Tajik and Uzbek minorities (770,000 combined) are mostly unreached. Islam is most strict here, and the few successful church plants meet significant opposition.
• The Dungan descended from Chinese Muslim refugees. A significant multi-agency effort to reach them began in 2000.
• Many smaller ethnicities around the country have little to no specific outreach: Tatars, Chinese, Uyghur, Jews, and others.