People group profile · PG006203
The Dolpa of Nepal
The Dolpa of Nepal, numbering about 12,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Tibetan ethnolinguistic community living in the high Himalayas of north‑western Nepal, primarily in Dolpa District, near the border with Tibet.
They are an indigenous people in the Tibetan people cluster of the Tibetan Peoples. Their primary religion is Tibetan Buddhism, and they primarily speak Dolpo.
Fast facts
- Country
- Nepal
- Population
- 12,000
- Affinity group
- Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
- People cluster
- Tibetan
- Primary language
- Dolpo (dre)
- Primary religion
- Tibetan Buddhism
- Strategic Progress Index ?
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC ?
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority ?
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Also known as
- Dolpo-pa
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Karnali province: Dolpa district, Chharka Tangsong municipality: west of Kag village along the Barbung river valley; Dolpo Buddha municipality, north of Lang village along the Tarap river valley, and along the Panzang river valley; Shey Phoksundo municip
Where they live
Gospel status
The Dolpa 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 Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Dolpa
- 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
100% adherents
Primary language
Dolpo · Sino-Tibetan family
100% speak Dolpo
Gospel resources in Dolpo
- Bible available, published 2023
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories available
Films
- JESUS (Dolpo)
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Dolpa
- 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.
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
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