Eastern Christianity Forum - Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (May 2026)

In May, I traveled to Bishkek to participate in the Eastern Christianity Forum. The Forum consisted of one lecture day and a five-day pilgrimage. The lecturers included Caleb Choi, who has been maintaining the forum for the past 15 plus years, Caleb Park, who has been leading the initiative together with Caleb Choi, and a few others, notably Paul Paik, specialized in BAM. 

In a nutshell, Eastern Christianity, often called the Nestorius Movement, is the collection of all Christianity that moved from Antioch, Syria to the eastern direction, all the way to China. Nestorious was once the Archbishop of Constantinople, and is considered one of the three pillars of Eastern Christianity. Its journey was a lot longer than the western counterpart reaching 10,000 km. It passed through the Persian Empire and the Silk Road. It was called "Gyung-gyo" or Illuminous Christianity in the China's Tang Dynasty. This went even further to Shilla, currently Korea. Unfortunately, the Western Christianity and the Eastern Christianity had disagreement on interpreting the manhood of Jesus Christ and the Western Christianity basically sacrificed the Eastern Christianity. Nonetheless, the Eastern Christianity flourished in the east and continued to move eastward. Particularly noteworthy was the Sogdian merchants who traveled the Silk Road with the gospel and evangelized the nations and people groups holistically. They are the origin of the current BAMers. 

After one full-day forum, we began the pilgrimage on the following day. It was a five-day journey. First, we crossed the border to Kordai, Kazakhstan on land. I have been crossing this border several times.

Soon after we crossed the border, we made a stop at the field that was covered with wildflowers. It was so vast and beautiful. We praised God's wonderful creation.

The first site we visited was the Ruins of Akyrtas. It was a palace, but used for multiple purposes, including a Church of the East. 

The next place we visited was Tektyrmas by the Talas River. It is an ancient ethno-historical and archaeological complex established on a hill overlooking the Talas River. It is a revered place in Kazakhstan. After that, we stayed a hotel in Taraz, the fifth largest city in Kazakhstan.

The restaurant where we had lunch was called NAVAT, meaning rock sugar. It is a franchise restaurant network, and I have eaten at the same restaurant in several places in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. It serves traditional foods of the Central Asia. The restaurant staff performed a dance, giving us a cultural experience.

The next day, we visited an archaeological site discovered underneath the city's central market. The market was relocated, and the site has been excavated. The excavation is still underway. The excavation revealed many artifacts that are related to the Church of the East.

We also visited a National Museum in Taraz, and saw some crosses inscribed into rocks and artifacts, along with many traditional paintings, artifacts, and statues. 

 

The next day, we walked in Victory Park by the Talas River in Taraz, and crossed the border back into Kyrgyzstan. We made a stop at the statue of General Manas, the hero of Kyrgyzstan, and also at the Monument for the Battle of Talas, established with the aid of KOICA. A Korean Chinese general, namely Koh, Sunji, was a respected general ruling over the Central Asian region. During his rule, the Church of the East was protected and thrived. But, his army was defeated by the Islamic allied troops and it was the beginning of the gradual demise of the Church of the East in Central Asia.

Next, we visited a mosque that was established on the site where a Church of the East stood. It was common that the muslims built their mosques on the previous church sites. We listened to the explanation and prayed silently together, seeking God's grace to the people in the land. 

Taraz was quite big and well-developed. We enjoyed walking around the city center.

The next day was a long drive over a high mountain, passing the 3326-meter-high landmark. It was cold and windy, but the snow-covered scenery was panoramic. 

We headed to a high plain called Susamur (meaning Blue Vessel), where we would stay in the Kyrgyz version of Ger of Mongolia, or Yurt. It is a portable housing that the nomads used wherever they temporarily settled while their animals eat the grass. The scenery was otherworldly and beautiful. But, it was cold to sleep in Yurt with only one small heater while the outside temperature dropped to a freezing temperature. 

The next morning, I did a morning walk inhaling and exhaling the fresh mountain air. After breakfast, we drove down to Bishkek and visited the National History Museum in Bishkek. 

We stayed one more night at Garden Hotel, and the next day, we headed to a mountain resort, called Supara. The scenery on the way and back was astonishingly beautiful. What a view!

While I was participating in the Eastern Christianity Forum, I met a lot of people. The following people were noteworthy among them: First, Chihoon Chung. It was God's providence that I met him through Mary Yoo's introduction. He studied theology in Korea and also in the U.S. But, he is entrepreneurial and currently operates multiple businesses in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. We agreed to stay in touch and work together in Central Asia. God sent me a great co-worker.

 

I met up with Chris Kim, who is an IT specialist. He intended to start a business, but decided to teach at a school in Talas for now. Eventually, he intends to start a business. We will stay in touch.

Caleb Choi is at the center of the Eastern Christianity Forum. We had a lot in common. He is now serving as the senior pastor of a Korean church in Bishkek.

God also led me to meet a young pastor and businessman, living in Korea. He has participated in the Forum for several years, assisting Caleb Choi. He runs a gourmet steak restaurant with his entire family. He was anxiously seeking to learn how to run a missional business. I told him about SHINE Alliance's BMT and he would participate in it.

I had a great fellowship time with Paul Paik and Seokha Kang. We are of similar age, and potentially we can work together. We will see what the Lord has in store for our relationship.  

Overall, my trip was very informative and fruitful. I am so grateful for the opportunity given to me, and all the relationships that God provided throughout the journey. Thank you, Lord! Glory be all yours, Lord! - Jeffrey