People group profile · PG011577
The Garre of Ethiopia
The Garre of Ethiopia, numbering about 13,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Somali clan descended from the ancestor Gardheere, whose sultanates once spanned southern Somalia, northeastern Kenya, and southern Ethiopia before 16th-century Oromo invasions ended their political autonomy.
They are an indigenous people in the Oromo people cluster of the Horn of Africa Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Borana-Arsi-Guji Oromo.
Fast facts
- Country
- Ethiopia
- Population
- 13,500
- Affinity group
- Northern African and Middle Eastern Peoples
- People cluster
- Oromo
- Primary language
- Borana-Arsi-Guji Oromo (gax)
- Primary religion
- Sunni Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- No Known Evangelicals
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Eastern Africa, Africa
- Location
- Afar, Amhara, and Somali regions; Oromia region: south; Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ region
Where they live
Gospel status
The Garre 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 Garre
- 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
Sunni Islam · Islam
98% adherents
Primary language
Borana-Arsi-Guji Oromo · Afro-Asiatic family
100% speak Borana-Arsi-Guji Oromo
Gospel resources in Borana-Arsi-Guji Oromo
- Bible available, published 2022
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
Bibles
- 1994 Bible Society of Kenya · audio
- 2007 Bible Society of Ethiopia · audio
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Garre
- 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.
Oromo, Garre in other countries
The same people (ROP3 115104) is reported in 1 other country.
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