People group profile · PG022527
The Pekal of Indonesia
The Pekal of Indonesia, numbering about 41,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Malayic people of Bengkulu's southwestern coast and adjacent Barisan foothills whose identity reflects interaction between Minangkabau, Rejang, and other Sumatran communities while maintaining a distinct Pekal language and clan tradition.
They are an indigenous people in the Minangkabau-Rejang of Sumatra people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Pekal.
Fast facts
- Country
- Indonesia
- Population
- 41,500
- Affinity group
- Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
- People cluster
- Minangkabau-Rejang of Sumatra
- Primary language
- Pekal (pel)
- 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
- Sumatera Selatan and Bengkulu provinces: northeast of Ipuh town to Tembesi river, to Argamakmur area south
Where they live
Gospel status
The Pekal 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 No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Pekal
- 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
Pekal · Austronesian family
100% speak Pekal
Gospel resources in Pekal
- 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 Pekal
- 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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