People group profile · PG016229
The Chami of Colombia
The Chami of Colombia, numbering about 17,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an Indigenous Embera subgroup of Colombia's western Andes whose identity is shaped by mountain homelands, communal traditions, and the Embera-Chami language.
They are an indigenous people in the South American Indigenous people cluster of the Latin American and Caribbean Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Emberá-Chamí.
Fast facts
- Country
- Colombia
- Population
- 17,000
- Affinity group
- American Peoples
- People cluster
- South American Indigenous
- Primary language
- Emberá-Chamí (cmi)
- Primary religion
- Ethnoreligion
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- South America, Americas
- Location
- Antioquia, Caldas, Chocó, Quindío, Risaralda, and Valle del Cauca departments; includes Caramanta municipality
Where they live
Gospel status
The Chami 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 Chami
- 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
45% adherents
Primary language
Emberá-Chamí · Chocoan family
100% speak Emberá-Chamí
Gospel resources in Emberá-Chamí
- Bible available, published 2021
- JESUS Film not available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Chami
- 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.
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