People group profile · PG015053
The Tumbuka of Tanzania
The Tumbuka of Tanzania, numbering about 300,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a central Bantu ethnolinguistic group indigenous to the Chitipa and Karonga districts of eastern Mali.
They are a diaspora people in the Bantu, Central-South people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Neo-Pentecostalism, and they primarily speak Tumbuka.
Fast facts
- Country
- Tanzania
- Population
- 300,000
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Bantu, Central-South
- Primary language
- Tumbuka (tum)
- 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
- Also known as
- Batumbuka
- Region
- Eastern Africa, Africa
Where they live
Gospel status
The Tumbuka 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 Tumbuka
- 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
Tumbuka · Atlantic-Congo family
100% speak Tumbuka
Gospel resources in Tumbuka
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Bibles
- 2002 Bible Society of Malawi · audio
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Tumbuka
- 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.
- 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.
Tumbuka in other countries
The same people (ROP3 110273) is reported in 3 other countries.
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