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People group profile · PG012137

The Bale of Ethiopia

The Bale of Ethiopia, numbering about 4,400 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a Balesi people, called Kachipo in neighboring South Sudan, who migrated from Ethiopia's South Omo region through desert lands that gave them their name, meaning burnt land, before settling the Boma plateau in 1925.

They are an indigenous people in the Nilotic people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Protestantism, and they primarily speak Kacipo-Bale Suri.

Pray for the BalePrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Bale people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash: Bale

Fast facts

Country
Ethiopia
Population
4,400
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Nilotic
Primary language
Kacipo-Bale Suri (koe)
Primary religion
Protestantism
Strategic Progress Index ?
Unengaged and 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
Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ region: south border with Sudan

Where they live

Gospel status

The Bale are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. 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 Bale

  • Pray that God would send workers to this people group
  • Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
  • Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice

Primary religion

Protestantism · Christianity

Primary language

Kacipo-Bale Suri · Surmic family

100% speak Kacipo-Bale Suri

Gospel resources in Kacipo-Bale Suri

  • Bible not available
  • 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 Bale

  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.

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