People group profile · PG011315
The Barma of Chad
The Barma of Chad, numbering about 146,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are founders of the Sultanate of Bagirmi in Chad, established around 1522 south of Kanem with its capital at Massenya, ruled by kings titled Mbang who won independence from Bornu in the 1700s before falling to Wadai in 1805 and Rabih az-Zubayr in 1893.
They are an indigenous people in the Sara-Bagirmi people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Islam, and they primarily speak Bagirmi.
Fast facts
- Country
- Chad
- Population
- 146,000
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Sara-Bagirmi
- Primary language
- Bagirmi (bmi)
- Primary religion
- Folk Islam
- 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
- Middle Africa, Africa
Where they live
Gospel status
The Barma 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 Barma
- 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
Folk Islam · Islam
99% adherents
Primary language
Bagirmi · Central Sudanic family
100% speak Bagirmi
Gospel resources in Bagirmi
- Bible available, published 2017
- 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 Barma
- 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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