Dear Friends,
Thank you for joining us in prayer for Christian leaders from Central Asia, a region consisting of five former Soviet republics: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Islam is the dominant religion in the region. Nearly 86% of Central Asians are Muslims (mostly Sunni), while 7% are Christians (primarily Russian Orthodox) and 6% are atheists. Learn more about Central Asia here. Please pray with us for Emil in Kyrgyzstan.
A mountainous republic on the historic Silk Road, Kyrgyzstan is home to an estimated 6 million people, 90% of whom are Muslim (mostly Sunni) and 7% Christian (mostly Russian Orthodox). Over 74% of Kyrgyzstan’s population is ethnic Kyrgyz, a formerly nomadic Turkic people, while 15% are Uzbek and 5% Russian. Another 4% (approximately 1% each) are Dungan (Hui Chinese), Uyghur, Tajik, and Turkish. Formerly under Czarist Russian and later Soviet rule, Kyrgyzstan declared independence in 1991. Join us in praying for the Church in Kyrgyzstan as it holds fast to the word of life and preaches hope in Jesus Christ amid opposition, ethnic conflicts, political instability, and economic hardship.
Emil is pursuing a PhD in Philosophy of Religion at Kyrgyz National University. A distinguished medical doctor, Emil is investigating how religious factors – such as church attendance, prayer, and Christian education – affect human health and physical healing. His research will help the Kyrgyz Church to engage intellectuals, especially those in medical fields. Emil also leads a local church of 70 people as Senior Pastor.
Prior to his studies, Emil served as Rector of United Theological Seminary (UTS) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s capital. Founded in 1996, UTS has trained 300+ pastors, missionaries, and Christian leaders from Central and East Asia. UTS is licensed by Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Education and accredited by the Euro-Asian Accrediting Association. ScholarLeaders supports Emil’s doctoral work through LeaderStudies and collaborates with UTS through the Vital SustainAbility Initiative.
Emil shares the following message:
First, I would like to express my gratitude for all who pray for me, my family, our church, and our country.
Pray for My Church
I would appreciate it if you could pray for our church to resume house church services in four villages near Bishkek. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we had four satellite house churches in those villages. So far, we have not been able to resume meeting on a regular basis for different reasons.
Pray for My Children
I would also appreciate it if you could pray for my children, especially for my eldest son, who is 20. He is in a transition period now.
My other four children are sometimes under pressure from other children at school (especially my second son who has suffered bullying) because of their faith, so they need wisdom and strength.
Pray for My Research
I need to write two or three articles in the coming year and publish them in journals in the Scopus or Web of Science databases. I would be grateful if you could pray for this to happen in 2023.
Pray for Balance
Please also pray for stamina, good time management, and balance in attending to my immediate and extended family, personal time with the Lord, church activities, dissertation, and friends.
Pray for a Bible College
We have a little unregistered Bible college affiliated with our church. We need to hear from the Father regarding what He wants us to do with it, whether to register it or have it become part of another registered institution.
Thank you!
With love in Christ Jesus,
Emil