People group profile · PG007214
The Northern Jiarong of China
The Northern Jiarong of China, numbering about 23,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Sichuan hill people known to themselves as Keru, descended from Tubo-era frontier soldiers unable to return home after the kingdom's collapse, once ruled by eighteen isolated local chieftaincies before being grouped with Tibetans.
They are an indigenous people in the Tibetan people cluster of the Tibetan Peoples. Their primary religion is Tibetan Buddhism, and they primarily speak Jiarong.
Fast facts
- Country
- China
- Population
- 23,500
- Affinity group
- Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
- People cluster
- Tibetan
- Primary language
- Jiarong (jya)
- 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
- Region
- Eastern Asia, Asia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Northern Jiarong 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 Northern Jiarong
- 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
95% adherents
Primary language
Jiarong · Sino-Tibetan family
90% speak Jiarong
Gospel resources in Jiarong
- Bible available, published 1932
- JESUS Film not available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources not available
- Bible stories not available
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Northern Jiarong
- 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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