Narrative Report of Mongolian Evangelical Lutheran Church (MELC)

(January 2024 by Puje)

Greetings to you all in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! We are thankful to God for the year 2023 as MELC started recreating its ministries.

I. Ministry Highlights of MELC.

Here are some highlights of MELC activities in 2023.

A. Mongolian Bible School

One of the biggest developments is the Bible school. Our MELC Bible school is now called the Mongolian Bible School. Since mid-2022, we have decided to name it so and apply for accreditation from the Asia Theological Association. In 2023, we have invited the ATA Visiting Evaluation Team to work in our school. They came to evaluate our program, credentials, facilities (Bayariin Medee Church’s building), and organizational structures. We are given accreditation for our two programs: Certificate in Christian Theology in Church Ministry (Evening) and Diploma in Theology in Christian Ministry. We will get our official Accreditation Certification upon our first graduation in 2025.

Currently, we have 9 diploma students (day) and 16 certificate students (evening) for this semester. There are 6 evening students who are on leave for this semester. Our first semester successfully finished last December with the Christmas Celebration, and our second semester started on 8 January for the diploma and 23 January for the certificate courses. Our students are from 6 Lutheran churches (MELC) and 11 other churches. We are hoping to enroll more students by next autumn.

Our faculty participated in the GATE training run by ATA in November. Horizon International organization agreed to help us develop a Moodle platform for our education. Faculty Enhancement Initiative based in New Zealand also agreed to help develop our faculty in teaching. We have created a library area where students can come and sit to study. Currently, we have over 1200 titles, but we would like to add more books each year. So, we want to receive donations of theological books for our library.

B. MELC leadership retreat:

The MELC leadership retreat was held on 18-21 July 2023. There were 24 leaders from the MELC churches. We had fellowship, discussion, sharing, and Word and prayer time daily. Our retreat focused on the past, present, and future of MELC and our commitments. We had a wonderful four-day fellowship and planning.

C. Ordination of two pastors:

MELC has ordained two pastors for the local churches in June. Hamit is ordained at the Kazakh church in Nalaikh (35 km from UB) as he is a Kazakh himself. Mungunshagai is ordained at the Ekhlel Khairiin Medee Church in Dundgovi (380 km from UB). Both of them graduated from UBTC with a degree in theology (BTh). Now, MELC has 5 pastors altogether.

D. Taiwanese Lutheran Church visitation:

In August, we had a group of 5 persons from Shilin Truth Lutheran Church in Taipei to get to know Bayariin Medee Church in UB (MELC). They desire to help plant new churches in Mongolia. We have talked about the possibilities of a new church plant. Our biggest concern is our lack of church planners and evangelists. Pastor Puje and Amaraa visited Taiwan in December. The local church of about 250 members welcomed us hospitably. Though we have not settled on partnering in church planting, we are discussing ways.

E. SYFR project started:

As the extension of the MELC’s social ministry and the continuation of the SYFSS project, the new project called the Strengthening Young Families Relationship started in June. This project focuses on the trainers who are called to work with young families. Eleven trainers are selected from MELC churches to help their churches work with youth and young families. They are trained to address prominent personal and family issues in society, church, and families and discuss them confidently.

F. General Assembly postponed:

MELC’s triennial assembly was to be held in 2023. However, because of overwhelming preparation and Bible school work, we postponed it to 2024.

II. Various information about MELC:

Here is some information on MELC overalls:

A. Churches and workers

MELC has 19 workers altogether. Our housekeeper in Darkhan, Nasandulam, went to be with the Lord last December.

1. MELC office

Purevdorj Jamsran (president)

Khishigjargal (secretary 60%)

2. BMUB (Bayariin Medee Ulaanbaatar)

Buyantogtokh – office worker

Security company (24/7)

3. BMDA (Bayariin Medee Darhan)

Davaasuren – church leader

Enkhtuya – treasurer

4. BMHO (Bayariin Medee Khovd)

Buyankhishig – pastor

5. BMHOK (Bayariin Medee Khovd Kazakh)

Nurtaza –worker

Enkhchimeg - ministry helper

6. BMJA (Bayariin Medee Javkhlant, Selenge)

Baldorj – church worker

Altantuya – local leader

7. BMMA (Bayariin Medee Mankhan, Khovd)

Khandmaa – leader

8. BMNA (Bayariin Medee Nalaikh)

Battogtokh – leader

9. BMHU (Bayariin Medee Khuder, Selenge)

Duurenjargal – church worker

10. BMBU (Bayariin Medee Bayan-Undur, Uvurkhangai)

No worker

11. BMNAK (Bayariin Medee Nalaikh Kazakh)

Hamit - pastor

12. SMUB (Sain Medee Ulaanbaatar)

Nerguisaikhan – pastor

Khishigjargal – office worker (40%)

13. SMTU (Sain Medee Tuv)

No worker

14. SMZA (Sain Medee Zavkhan)

Battulga - leader

15. HMDU (Khairiin Medee Dundgovi)

Mungunshagai – pastor

16. HMAR (Khairiin Medee Arkhangai)

Otgontugs - leader

B. Property lists

1. UB

a. BMUB

• The church building (with garage) (Entrance and Worship Hall was renovated)

• The guesthouse attached to the church building

• Three-room apartment (in exchange for the land) for rent

• Two-room apartment after it is built (in exchange for the land)

• Two-room apartment after it is built (in exchange for the land)

• Student Dormitory (20) on one family land. – Needs renovation.

• Two-room (41sq. m.) apartment for rent.

• Church building in Bayan-Undur, Uvurkhangai

b. SMUB

• The church building in UB – Needs renovation and possibly second floor

• The church building in Tuv

2. Darkhan

• The church building and a garage attached to it.

• Garage for 3 cars on 2-family land – Selling it to renovate the main building

• Van (Hiace) - Better to replace it. Too old and too much repairs needed.

• Ger in Bayankharaat on one family land.

• There were two church buildings on one family’s land in Khuder. But the one that was used for the church has foundation problem and it was taken down.

• Church ger in Khuder

3. Arkhangai

• Church building in Tsetserleg

4. Dundgovi

• Church building in Dundgovi – Needs renovation.

5. Khovd

• Church building in Jargalant (Khovd province center)

• Church building in Erdeneburen

• Ger in Buyant

• Ger in Mankhan

• Ger for K-ministry

c. Regular Ministries of MELC churches

Sunday worship service: MELC churches gather on Sundays. BMUB, BMHO, BMDA, BMNA, SMUB, SMZA, HMDU and HMAR churches use the order of liturgy written by Rev. Puje in 2016. The rest of the congregations do not use it because either the congregation is too small to follow the liturgy or the gathering is irregular.

Mongolian Bible School: MBS’s diploma course is held in September, November, January, and March for 3 weeks each time. Evening course is held between September and December, and January and May. Our diploma students who are coming from the countryside stay in the dormotory attached to th BMUB building. We have changed the guesthouse BMUB church into a dormitory, where students from the countryside stay during the session. They would be able to use books (currently without a library room) and do homework while staying. MELC encourage churches to send their members to equip them for their ministries.

Cell groups: Cell groups are encouraged in MELC churches. We had a Cell Group Seminar for MELC member churches last year. This boosts their cell group ministries.

Social Ministry: MELC churches have benefitted from the service of SYFSS and SYFR for the last few years. They have regular activities in and outside the church to make a difference in their communities. Many young families participated and were impacted by their ministry. Evangelism MELC churches use materials from Alpha Ministry to reach people with the Gospel. Alpha is the only evangelistic tool we have currently. But it is the only tool that works very well. We will continue to use it for evangelism and even for the church planting.

Literature: We thank God for our partners for supporting our endeavor to create materials in the Mongolian language. Gunn Anderson’s second half of the last book is underway for editing and printing. Martin Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation is being translated. We hoped to print them in 2023, but we could not make it. Also, “Becoming like Jesus” and “Salvation belong to God” by Chris Wright are translated and are being proofread for print. Strength in Weakness by Jonathan Lamb and Family in Mission by Johaness Reimer is being translated. Prayer by Ole Halesby needs to be reprinted. But we have to proofread it again and print it.

d. Students at Theological Education

We have three persons graduated from UBTC with BTh.

Buyantogtokh from BMUB,
Hamit from K-ministry in Nalaikh,
Baldorj from BMDA.

Two persons graduated from the modular course with certificate:

Battulga from SMZA,
Ochir from BMHO

Students abroad: Nomin-Ulzii at SMUB, with his family of 3 children is in the Philippines for his theological study. He finished 2 years and needs to go one more year.

Prospective Students abroad: Davaasuren at BMDA is applying to a Bible School in Singapore for the MDiv program. He was to go last year, but because of TOEFL score and his family situation, he postponed it. He is preparing to enter the school this year (June 2024).

MELC REQUEST FROM THE PARTNERS:

We are so blessed to have you as our partner. Thank you very much for your faithfulness in supporting us over the years.

1. MELC Building Project

Since BMUB church is located in a central part of Ulaanbaatar, we would like to keep the space. No organization owns the land, but they all are government property. The government or politicians could claim our land because we do not develop it. We should be proactive in this case, and we also have a need.

• Currently, we have a perspective drawing for the desired building.

o The estimated space to build is about 720 sq. meter
o The estimated cost for the extension project is about US$500,000
o The estimated asset (apartments) of BMUB is about US$150,000
o Estimated need is US$350,000

• Usage of the new building (extension):

o Bigger hall on the second floor for about 275 people. It is used for church services and for rent for weddings, seminars, and other activities.
o Space for Bible school (180-200 sq. m) and other seminars and Bible study groups.
o Space for rent (maybe Coffee Shop) for income (70-90 sq. m).

ROUGH TIMETABLE: (as of 2023)

• In 2023, we will submit our application for building permission. We could not proceed because there was no response from our donors.

• In 2023-24, we would like to collect donations and pledges. Some problems we foresee. Last summer, the city dug the left side of the building to install a water tube for the newly built apartment in the north of the premise. We have to ask if we can move it (it costs) to build on it.

• In 2024-25, start the groundwork.

• In 2026, the project is finished.

NEED:

• Financial Support and Pledges.

• Experts in architecture and building to come and advise us.

2. Establishing a media ministry:

- To create Bible school content for distance learning.

- To create Sunday school content for kids.

- To do quality recordings of teaching/preaching of our pastors and distributes them using social media platforms. We have purchased a monitor and speaker to start with.

- To record quality worship songs for teaching and worship purposes.

- To make podcasts and channels for content to evangelize, teach, and disciple.

- And many more possibilities...

NEED:

• A reasonable quality camera for video lesson recording.

• A good microphone for clear audio.

• A part-time technical person who can help us with it.

3. Development for Mongolian Bible School

• Now that we have ATA permission to proceed with our programs, we may need a person who can work on course development. This person should know Mongolia and understand our situation in theological education.

• Theological textbook translation project – We started the project with the help of Langham Literature. We must translate many more books as part of our theological education development endeavor.

• We must solicit our school to be recognized in the country. It means we need a scholarship program to draw students from the countryside and help churches in need by equipping their students.

NEED:

• An expert like Ole Kullerud is sent to us to work, coming to Mongolia a few times a year for teaching and administrative purposes.

• Scholarship program!

a. A student from the countryside for one year is USD 851.

b. A student from Ulaanbaatar for one year is USD 287.

c. Non-MELC students’ tuition fee is $345 a year (room and board excluded).

Thank you all!

We are looking forward to partnering with you all for 2024!

Purevdorj Jamsran, President, MELC