Prototype rebuild by the IMB Innovation Team. The official site is peoplegroups.org.

People group profile · PG022708

The Serili of Indonesia

The Serili of Indonesia, numbering about 600 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of Indonesia.

They are an indigenous people in the Maluku-Southern people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Protestantism, and they primarily speak Ambonese Malay.

Pray for the SeriliPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Indonesia
Population
600
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Maluku-Southern
Primary language
Ambonese Malay (abs)
Primary religion
Protestantism
Strategic Progress Index ?
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
50% or Greater but Less than 75%
GSEC ?
10% or Greater Evangelical
Lostness priority ?
Significantly Reached People Group
Region
South-Eastern Asia, Asia
Location
Maluku province: Babar island group, Papilewan town on northeast Marsela island

Where they live

Gospel status

The Serili are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 10% evangelical.

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

Next steps for the Serili

  • 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

Protestantism · Christianity

53% adherents

Primary language

Ambonese Malay · Austronesian family

100% speak Ambonese Malay

Gospel resources in Ambonese Malay

  • Bible available, published 2022
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories available

Films

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Serili

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

Download a prayer guide

Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.