People group profile · PG011586
The Gobato of Ethiopia
The Gobato of Ethiopia, numbering about 2,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Berta people, also called Benishangul or Funj, tracing origin to Sudan's Funj Sultanate before migrating to western Ethiopia's Benishangul-Gumuz region in the 1500s-1600s, settling defensively on hills before Arab Sudanese influence brought Islam.
They are an indigenous people in the Nilotic people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Berta.
Fast facts
- Country
- Ethiopia
- Population
- 2,500
- Affinity group
- Northern African and Middle Eastern Peoples
- People cluster
- Nilotic
- Primary language
- Berta (wti)
- 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
- Benishangul-Gumuz region: Blue Nile river and Sudan border corner north of Asosa; Dalati, Sirba Abay area east of Dabus river; Matahara east
Where they live
Gospel status
The Gobato 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 Gobato
- 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
85% adherents
Primary language
100% speak Berta
Gospel resources in Berta
- Bible available, published 2006
- JESUS Film not available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Gobato
- 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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