People group profile · PG012887
The Banda Bambari of Central African Republic
The Banda Bambari of Central African Republic, numbering about 352,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a patrilineal Banda people governed by local headmen in dispersed hamlets, devastated by 19th-century slave raids from Wadai and Darfur in the north and Zande slave-trading zaribas in the south until the French Ubangi-Shari colony suppressed the trade.
They are an indigenous people in the Adamawa-Ubangi people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Neo-Pentecostalism, and they primarily speak Banda-Bambari.
Fast facts
- Country
- Central African Republic
- Population
- 352,000
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Adamawa-Ubangi
- Primary language
- Banda-Bambari (liy)
- Primary religion
- Neo-Pentecostalism
- 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
- Basse-Kotto prefecture: Alindao and Mingala subprefectures; Haute-Kotto prefecture: Bria subprefecture; Ouaka prefecture: Bakala, Bambari, Grimari, and Ippy subprefectures
Where they live
Gospel status
The Banda Bambari 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 Banda Bambari
- 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
Neo-Pentecostalism · Christianity
Primary language
Banda-Bambari · Atlantic-Congo family
100% speak Banda-Bambari
Gospel resources in Banda-Bambari
- Bible available, published 2012
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings not available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories available
Films
- JESUS (Banda-Linda)
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Banda Bambari
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
- 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.
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