People group profile · PG018383
The West Uvean of New Caledonia
The West Uvean of New Caledonia, numbering about 2,700 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are descendants of Wallisian Polynesian navigators who settled Ouvea in New Caledonia's Loyalty Islands in the late 1600s, whose Fagauvea speech is the only Polynesian language to count in base five, under influence from the neighboring Iaai people.
They are an indigenous people in the Polynesian people cluster of the Pacific Islander Peoples. Their primary religion is Roman Catholicism, and they primarily speak West Uvean.
Fast facts
- Country
- New Caledonia
- Population
- 2,700
- Affinity group
- Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
- People cluster
- Polynesian
- Primary language
- West Uvean (uve)
- Primary religion
- Roman Catholicism
- Strategic Progress Index
- Unengaged and Unreached
- Evangelical
- No Known Evangelicals
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Melanesia, Oceania
- Location
- Loyalty Islands province: Lifou and Tiga, Ouvea Atoll, north and south
Where they live
Gospel status
The West Uvean are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. 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 West Uvean
- Pray that God would send workers to this people group
- Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
- Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice
Primary religion
Roman Catholicism · Christianity
90% adherents
Primary language
West Uvean · Austronesian family
78% speak West Uvean
Gospel resources in West Uvean
- Bible available, published 1903
- 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 West Uvean
- 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.
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
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