People group profile · PG000925
The Meadow Mari of the Russian Federation
The Meadow Mari of the Russian Federation, numbering about 548,000 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a Volga Finnic people of central Russia who speak Meadow Mari. Their culture reflects Finno-Ugric roots and centuries of interaction with neighboring peoples, and many continue to practice the traditional Mari ethnic religion.
They are an indigenous people in the Finno-Ugric people cluster of the Eurasian Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Eastern Mari.
Fast facts
- Country
- Russian Federation
- Population
- 548,000
- Affinity group
- European Peoples
- People cluster
- Finno-Ugric
- Primary language
- Eastern Mari (mhr)
- Primary religion
- Ethnoreligion
- Strategic Progress Index
- Unengaged and Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Also known as
- Lowland Mari, Eastern Meadow Mari
- Region
- Eastern Europe, Europe
- Location
- Mostly on the right bank of the Volga River in Mari El
Where they live
Gospel status
The Meadow Mari are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. 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 Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Meadow Mari
- Pray that God would send workers to this people group
- Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
- Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice
Primary religion
60% adherents
Primary language
Eastern Mari · Uralic family
85% speak Eastern Mari
Gospel resources in Eastern Mari
- Bible available, published 2020
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings not available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Mari, Low)
Bibles
- Institute for Bible Translation · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Meadow Mari
- 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.
- 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.
Mari, Meadow in other countries
The same people (ROP3 105877) is reported in 3 other countries.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meadow Mari | Kazakhstan | 8,800 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Meadow Mari | Uzbekistan | 5,600 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Meadow Mari | Tajikistan | 750 | Unengaged and Unreached |
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