People group profile · PG022610
The Melayu Sambas of Indonesia
The Melayu Sambas of Indonesia, numbering about 184,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are one of four dialect subgroups of Kendayan, a language of Indonesia.
They are an indigenous people in the Borneo-Kalimantan people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Kendayan.
Fast facts
- Country
- Indonesia
- Population
- 184,000
- Affinity group
- Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
- People cluster
- Borneo-Kalimantan
- Primary language
- Kendayan (knx)
- 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
- West Kalimantan province: Bengkayang, Kota Singkawang, Kuba Raya, Landak, Sambas, and Sanggau regencies; northwest Kalimantan island, South China sea coast, and Madi and Papan jungle area
Where they live
Gospel status
The Melayu Sambas 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 Melayu Sambas
- 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
100% adherents
Primary language
Kendayan · Austronesian family
100% speak Kendayan
Gospel resources in Kendayan
- Bible available, published 2019
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources not available
- Bible stories available
Films
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Melayu Sambas
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
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