People group profile · PG009450
The Kayah of Myanmar
The Kayah of Myanmar, numbering about 115,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are also known as Kayahli or sometimes referred to externally as Red Karen or Karenni, are an ethnolinguistic group native to eastern Myanmar (Burma).
They are an indigenous people in the Karen people cluster of the Southeast Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Western Kayah.
Fast facts
- Country
- Myanmar
- Population
- 115,000
- Affinity group
- Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
- People cluster
- Karen
- Primary language
- Western Kayah (kyu)
- Primary religion
- Animism
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Expanding Unreached People Group
- Region
- South-Eastern Asia, Asia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Kayah 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 Kayah
- 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
75% adherents
Primary language
Western Kayah · Sino-Tibetan family
100% speak Western Kayah
Gospel resources in Western Kayah
- Bible available, published 2016
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Kayah Li, Western)
Bibles
- 2009 UBS · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Kayah
- 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.
- 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.
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