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People group profile · PG011449

The Sara Mbai of Chad

The Sara Mbai of Chad, numbering about 270,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Sara-Bagirmi-speaking Nilo-Saharan ethnic group indigenous to southern Chad and Central African Republic.

They are an indigenous people in the Sara-Bagirmi people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Mbay.

Pray for the Sara MbaiPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Sara Mbai people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Sara Mbai

Fast facts

Country
Chad
Population
270,000
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Sara-Bagirmi
Primary language
Mbay (myb)
Primary religion
Ethnoreligion
Strategic Progress Index
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
2% or Greater but Less than 5%
GSEC
2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
Lostness priority
Marginally Reached People Group
Region
Middle Africa, Africa
Location
Mandoul region: Barh Sara department, Moïssala area

Where they live

Gospel status

The Sara Mbai are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 2% evangelical.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Sara Mbai

  • 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

Ethnoreligion

75% adherents

Primary language

Mbay · Central Sudanic family

85% speak Mbay

Gospel resources in Mbay

  • Bible available, published 2004
  • JESUS Film not available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Bibles

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Sara Mbai

  1. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
  2. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
  3. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
  4. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.

Download a prayer guide

Sara Mbai in other countries

The same people (ROP3 108710) is reported in 3 other countries.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
Sara MbaiNigeria16,500No Longer Unreached
Sara MbaiCentral African Republic16,000No Longer Unreached
Sara MbaiCameroon6,700No Longer Unreached

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