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People group profile · PG022553

The Berau of Indonesia

The Berau of Indonesia, numbering about 14,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of Indonesia.

They are an indigenous people in the Banjar of Kalimantan people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Berau Malay.

Pray for the BerauPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Indonesia
Population
14,000
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Banjar of Kalimantan
Primary language
Berau Malay (bve)
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 ?
Pioneer Unreached People Group
Region
South-Eastern Asia, Asia
Location
East Kalimantan province: Cape Pandan, Tanjungreder, and Muaramalinau towns on lower Segah river; Celebes Sea coast and south past Sepinang town to Cape Batube area

Where they live

Gospel status

The Berau 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 Berau

  • 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

Berau Malay · Austronesian family

100% speak Berau Malay

Gospel resources in Berau Malay

  • 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 Berau

  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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