People group profile · PG012833
The Northwest Gbaya of Central African Republic
The Northwest Gbaya of Central African Republic, numbering about 353,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a regional branch of the Gbaya, Central Africa's largest ethnic family, who fled Usman dan Fodio's jihad from northern Nigeria in the early nineteenth century under war chief Gazargamu, assimilating peoples they encountered along the way.
They are an indigenous people in the Adamawa-Ubangi people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Northwest Gbaya.
Fast facts
- Country
- Central African Republic
- Population
- 353,000
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Adamawa-Ubangi
- Primary language
- Northwest Gbaya (gya)
- Primary religion
- Ethnoreligion
- Strategic Progress Index ?
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC ?
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority ?
- Pioneer Unreached People Group
- Region
- Middle Africa, Africa
- Location
- Mambéré-Kadéï prefecture: north of Amada Gaza; Nana-Mambéré prefecture: Baboua and Bouar subprefectures; Ouham-Pendé prefecture: Bocaranga and Bozoum subprefectures
Where they live
Gospel status
The Northwest Gbaya 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 Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Northwest Gbaya
- 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
Primary language
Northwest Gbaya · Atlantic-Congo family
100% speak Northwest Gbaya
Gospel resources in Northwest Gbaya
- Bible available, published 2011
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Gbaya, Northwest)
Bibles
- 1995 Bible Society of Cameroon · audio
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Northwest Gbaya
- 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.
Northwest Gbaya in other countries
The same people is also reported in 3 other countries.
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