People group profile · PG006174
The Bantawa Rai of Nepal
The Bantawa Rai of Nepal, numbering about 493,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a people of Nepal, Bhojpur District, Koshi Zone; western Dhankuta District, Khotang District.
They are an indigenous people in the South Himalayan people cluster of the Himalayan Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Bantawa.
Fast facts
- Country
- Nepal
- Population
- 493,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- South Himalayan
- Primary language
- Bantawa (bap)
- Primary religion
- Animism
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, Concentrated CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Pioneer Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Kosi province: Bhojpur, Dhankuta, Ilam, Jhapa, Khotang, Morang, Panchthar, Sunsari, and Udayapur districts
Where they live
Gospel status
The Bantawa Rai 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 but there has been initial or concentrated church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years Concentrated Church Planting
Next steps for the Bantawa Rai
- 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
Animism · Ethnoreligion
95% adherents
Primary language
Bantawa · Sino-Tibetan family
71% speak Bantawa
Gospel resources in Bantawa
- Bible available, published 2021
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Bantawa Rai
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
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