People group profile · PG043577
The Oirat of the United States
The Oirat of the United States, numbering about 1,900 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Kalmyk Buddhist diaspora in the United States descended from Oirat Mongols deported by Stalin during WWII, who reached American displaced-persons sponsorship in the early 1950s and settled around Howell, New Jersey, building temples that still stand.
They are a diaspora people in the Mongolian people cluster of the East Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Tibetan Buddhism, and they primarily speak Kalmyk.
Fast facts
- Country
- United States
- Population
- 1,900
- Affinity group
- Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
- People cluster
- Mongolian
- Primary language
- Kalmyk (xal)
- Primary religion
- Tibetan Buddhism
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- No Known Evangelicals
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Northern America, Americas
Where they live
Gospel status
The Oirat are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Oirat
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Tibetan Buddhism · Buddhism
60% adherents
Primary language
Kalmyk · Mongolic-Khitan family
100% speak Kalmyk
Gospel resources in Kalmyk
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Kalmyk-Oirat)
Bibles
- 2002 Institute for Bible Translation, Moscow · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Oirat
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
Oirat, Western Mongul in other countries
The same people (ROP3 107607) is reported in 5 other countries.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kalmyk-Oirats | Mongolia | 191,000 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Kalmyk-Oirats | Russian Federation | 183,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Kok Nur Oirat | China | 105,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Kalmyk-Oirats | Kyrgyzstan | 8,200 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Kalmyk-Oirats | Uzbekistan | 1,000 | Unengaged and Unreached |
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