People group profile · PG009222
The Butonese of Malaysia
The Butonese of Malaysia, numbering about 20,500 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are an Austronesian-speaking ethnolinguistic grup indigenous to Buton Island in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia.
They are a diaspora people in the Tukangbesi of Sulawesi people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Wolio.
Fast facts
- Country
- Malaysia
- Population
- 20,500
- Affinity group
- Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
- People cluster
- Tukangbesi of Sulawesi
- Primary language
- Wolio (wlo)
- Primary religion
- Sunni Islam
- 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
- Region
- South-Eastern Asia, Asia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Butonese 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 No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Butonese
- 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
Sunni Islam · Islam
99% adherents
Primary language
Wolio · Austronesian family
70% speak Wolio
Gospel resources in Wolio
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Wolio)
Bibles
- Wolio Translation Group · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Butonese
- 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.
Wolio in other countries
The same people (ROP3 110855) is reported in 1 other country.
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