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People group profile · PG022433

The Kangean of Indonesia

The Kangean of Indonesia, numbering about 122,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of Indonesia.

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.

Pray for the KangeanPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Indonesia
Population
122,000
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, Concentrated CP Activity
Lostness priority
Expanding Unreached People Group
Region
South-Eastern Asia, Asia
Location
Java island, East Java province: sea coast; Kangean islands

Where they live

Gospel status

The Kangean 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 but there has been initial or concentrated church planting among them within the past two years.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years Concentrated Church Planting

Next steps for the Kangean

  • 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

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

Pray for the Kangean

  1. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
  2. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
  3. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
  4. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.

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