Mongolia (MNN) — Mongolia held its parliamentary elections in June. Last month, local governments had their turn. 

The nation of just 3.4 million people is sandwiched between Russia and China. It was a Communist nation for over six decades leading up to the 1990s when it transitioned to a democracy. 

More than 8,000 local government seats were up for voting in the October elections. The results? The Mongolian People’s Party, an ex-Communist party, keeps its majority.

“Out of 21 provinces in Mongolia, they won in 14 provinces, and out of nine districts in the city, they won in eight districts,” Chinzo* with A3 Mongolia says.

“We had opposition parties, like [the] Democratic Party, and [the HUN] Party. Even after the parliamentary elections, we had some reforms, some changes, but even after that now the ruling party (the Mongolian People’s Party) has great weight in decision-making and directing the trajectory of our countries.”

People in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (Stock photo courtesy of Belgutei via Unsplash)

Christians make up less than 2 percent of Mongolia’s majority Buddhist population. But Chinzo says they do not face heavy persecution — yet. 

“It’s all indirect. There is no direct pressure or persecution,” he says. “But the change is in the society — we’re going back into Communist-type of regime again.”

He lists media and speech censorship as growing concerns. One form of pressure that Christians experience today is bureaucratic delay. 

“Many churches wait for many, many years to get official registration (with the government),” Chinzo says. 

Join in praying with Christians in Mongolia for God to move in their nation. 

“Pray for religious freedom in terms of especially churches. We need more official recognition and favor from the [state] for the churches to function freely, without fighting persecution,” says Chinzo.

Pray also for the Mongolian church, which Chinzo says has a lack of men in leadership. 

“We want Mongolian men to rise up. They need to come back to Jesus and really be strong.”

*Name withheld for security

Header photo shows a scene from Inner Mongolia. (Photo courtesy of marywenstrom from Pixabay)