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People group profile · PG011655

The Wello of Ethiopia

The Wello of Ethiopia, numbering about 425,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are one of the major Oromo subgroups in Ethiopia.

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 West Central Oromo.

Pray for the WelloPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Ethiopia
Population
425,000
Affinity group
Northern African and Middle Eastern Peoples
People cluster
Oromo
Primary language
West Central Oromo (gaz)
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
Widespread

Where they live

Gospel status

The Wello 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 Wello

  • 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

70% adherents

Primary language

West Central Oromo · Afro-Asiatic family

100% speak West Central Oromo

Gospel resources in West Central Oromo

  • Bible available, published 1998
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Films

Bibles

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

Pray for the Wello

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

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