People group profile · PG022423
The Bawean of Indonesia
The Bawean of Indonesia, numbering about 99,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an Indonesian island community descended from Madurese settlers who arrived by the late 14th century, distinguished today by merantau, a long-standing tradition of migrating for work to Singapore and Malaysia that has shaped Bawean life for generations.
They are an indigenous people in the Madura of Java people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Madurese.
Fast facts
- Country
- Indonesia
- Population
- 99,500
- Affinity group
- Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
- People cluster
- Madura of Java
- Primary language
- Madurese (mad)
- Primary religion
- Sunni Islam
- 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-Eastern Asia, Asia
- Location
- East Java province: Java island coast south and west of Surabaja city, Bawean, Kangean, and Sapudi islands; South Kalimantan province: Java Sea area
Where they live
Gospel status
The Bawean 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 Bawean
- 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
Sunni Islam · Islam
99% adherents
Primary language
Madurese · Austronesian family
100% speak Madurese
Gospel resources in Madurese
- Bible available, published 1994
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
Bibles
- Today's Madura Version, 1994 · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Bawean
- 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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