People group profile · PG009497
The Kayan Karen of Myanmar
The Kayan Karen of Myanmar, numbering about 133,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic subgroup of the Karen, an ethnic group indigenous to Kayin State in southeastern Myanmar.
They are an indigenous people in the Karen people cluster of the Southeast Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Kayan.
Fast facts
- Country
- Myanmar
- Population
- 133,000
- Affinity group
- Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
- People cluster
- Karen
- Primary language
- Kayan (pdu)
- Primary religion
- Animism
- Strategic Progress Index
- No Longer Unreached
- Evangelical
- 5% or Greater but Less than 10%
- GSEC
- 5% or Greater but Less than 10% Evangelical
- Lostness priority
- Moderately Reached People Group
- Region
- South-Eastern Asia, Asia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Kayan Karen are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 5% evangelical.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Kayan Karen
- Pray for the churches among this group to grow in faithfulness and maturity
- Equip believers to reach the unreached peoples around them
- Send out laborers from this people to the nations
Primary religion
Animism · Ethnoreligion
60% adherents
Primary language
Kayan · Sino-Tibetan family
100% speak Kayan
Gospel resources in Kayan
- Bible available, published 2015
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Kayan)
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Kayan Karen
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
- 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.
Karen, Kayan in other countries
The same people (ROP3 107734) is reported in 1 other country.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Padaung Karen | Thailand | 2,800 | No Longer Unreached |
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