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People group profile · PG018364

The Orowe of New Caledonia

The Orowe of New Caledonia, numbering about 600 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a small Kanak clan of the interior valleys of Bourail on New Caledonia's west coast, descended from Austronesian voyagers who reached the island around 1100 BC and organized around clan-based customary land ties.

They are an indigenous people in the New Caledonia people cluster of the Pacific Islander Peoples. Their primary religion is Roman Catholicism, and they primarily speak Orowe.

Pray for the OrowePrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Orowe people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Orowe

Fast facts

Country
New Caledonia
Population
600
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
New Caledonia
Primary language
Orowe (bpk)
Primary religion
Roman Catholicism
Strategic Progress Index
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
30% or Greater but Less than 40%
GSEC
10% or Greater Evangelical
Lostness priority
Significantly Reached People Group
Region
Melanesia, Oceania
Location
South province: west coast, Azareu, Bouirou and upper valleys, Ny and Pothé

Where they live

Gospel status

The Orowe are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 10% evangelical.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Orowe

  • Pray for the churches among this group to grow in faithfulness and maturity
  • Equip believers to reach the unreached peoples around them
  • Send out laborers from this people to the nations

Primary religion

Roman Catholicism · Christianity

82% adherents

Primary language

Orowe · Austronesian family

75% speak Orowe

Gospel resources in Orowe

  • Bible not available
  • JESUS Film not available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings not available
  • Audio resources not available
  • Bible stories not available

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Orowe

  1. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
  2. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
  3. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
  4. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.

Download a prayer guide

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