People group profile · PG017013
The Matis of Brazil
The Matis of Brazil, numbering about 450 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Panoan people of Brazil's Vale do Javari territory near the Itui and Itacoai rivers, first contacted by Brazilian authorities only in the late 1970s after which disease nearly halved their population, known for facial tattoos and piercings.
They are an indigenous people in the Amazon people cluster of the Latin American and Caribbean Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Matís.
Fast facts
- Country
- Brazil
- Population
- 450
- Affinity group
- American Peoples
- People cluster
- Amazon
- Primary language
- Matís (mpq)
- Primary religion
- Ethnoreligion
- 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
- Amazonas: Atalaia do Norte municipality; on Peru border; Javari valley
Where they live
Gospel status
The Matis 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 Matis
- 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
99% adherents
Primary language
Matís · Pano-Tacanan family
100% speak Matís
Gospel resources in Matís
- Bible not available
- JESUS Film not available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings not 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 Matis
- 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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