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People group profile · PG022744

The Sumba Timur of Indonesia

The Sumba Timur of Indonesia, numbering about 287,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a dialect subgrouip of Kambera (xbr), a language of Indonesia.

They are an indigenous people in the Flores-Sumba-Alor people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Protestantism, and they primarily speak Kambera.

Pray for the Sumba TimurPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Indonesia
Population
287,000
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Flores-Sumba-Alor
Primary language
Kambera (xbr)
Primary religion
Protestantism
Strategic Progress Index
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
20% or Greater but Less than 30%
GSEC
10% or Greater Evangelical
Lostness priority
Significantly Reached People Group
Region
South-Eastern Asia, Asia
Location
East Nusa Tenggara province: east Sumba island

Where they live

Gospel status

The Sumba Timur 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 Sumba Timur

  • 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

Primary language

Kambera · Austronesian family

100% speak Kambera

Gospel resources in Kambera

  • Bible available, published 1995
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Films

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

Pray for the Sumba Timur

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

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