People group profile · PG022435
The Sunda of Indonesia
The Sunda of Indonesia, numbering about 46,970,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are the second-largest ethnic group in Indonesia, native to West Java's Priangan highlands, called parahyangan or paradise, whose Hindu Sunda Kingdom flourished from 669 to 1579 and peaked under King Sri Baduga Maharaja before falling to Muslim Demak forces.
They are an indigenous people in the Sunda-Betawi of Java people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Sundanese.
Fast facts
- Country
- Indonesia
- Population
- 46,970,000
- Affinity group
- Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
- People cluster
- Sunda-Betawi of Java
- Primary language
- Sundanese (sun)
- Primary religion
- Sunni Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, Concentrated CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- South-Eastern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Banten and West Java provinces: western third of Java; Central Java province: Cilacap regency
Where they live
Gospel status
The Sunda 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 Sunda
- 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
97% adherents
Primary language
Sundanese · Austronesian family
100% speak Sundanese
Gospel resources in Sundanese
- Bible available, published 2018
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Bibles
- Today's Version 1991 (Nganggo Basa Sunda Sadidinten) · video, audio, text
- Today's Version, 1997 · audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Sunda
- 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.
- 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.
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