People group profile · PG016261
The Motilón-Barí of Colombia
The Motilón-Barí of Colombia, numbering about 3,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic group indigenous to the Catatumbo River basin in Colombia and Venezuela, descendants of the pre-Columbian Tairona culture.
They are an indigenous people in the Amazon people cluster of the Latin American and Caribbean Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Catholicism, and they primarily speak Barí.
Fast facts
- Country
- Colombia
- Population
- 3,000
- Affinity group
- American Peoples
- People cluster
- Amazon
- Primary language
- Barí (mot)
- Primary religion
- Folk Catholicism
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Expanding Unreached People Group
- Region
- South America, Americas
- Location
- Cesar department: Chimichagua, La Gloria, and Pailitas municipalities; Norte de Santander department: Reserva Indígena Motilón-Barí and Resguardo Indígena Gabarra-Catalaura in Upper Catatumbo and Oro rivers and Serranía de los Motilones region
Where they live
Gospel status
The Motilón-Barí 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 Motilón-Barí
- 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
Folk Catholicism · Christianity
55% adherents
Primary language
Barí · Chibchan family
90% speak Barí
Gospel resources in Barí
- Bible not available
- 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 Motilón-Barí
- 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.
Motilone, Bari in other countries
The same people (ROP3 106823) is reported in 2 other countries.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motilón-Barí | Venezuela | 2,000 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Motilón-Barí | United States | 1,100 | No Longer Unreached |
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