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People group profile · PG022702

The Saleman of Indonesia

The Saleman of Indonesia, numbering about 7,500 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of Indonesia.

They are an indigenous people in the Maluku-Central people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Saleman.

Pray for the SalemanPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Indonesia
Population
7,500
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Maluku-Central
Primary language
Saleman (sau)
Primary religion
Sunni Islam
Strategic Progress Index ?
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
2% or Greater but Less than 5%
GSEC ?
2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
Lostness priority ?
Minimally Reached People Group
Region
South-Eastern Asia, Asia
Location
Maluku province: Maluku Tengah regency on Saleman bay, north central Seram island, 3 areas

Where they live

Gospel status

The Saleman are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 2% evangelical.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Saleman

  • Pray for the churches among this group to grow in faithfulness and maturity
  • Equip believers to reach the unreached peoples around them
  • Send out laborers from this people to the nations

Primary religion

Sunni Islam · Islam

95% adherents

Primary language

Saleman · Austronesian family

76% speak Saleman

Gospel resources in Saleman

  • Bible not available
  • JESUS Film not available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings 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 Saleman

  1. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
  2. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
  3. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
  4. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.

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