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People group profile · PG022789

The Bantik of Indonesia

The Bantik of Indonesia, numbering about 20,500 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Sangiric-branch Austronesian people of villages around Manado in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, traditionally a semi-nomadic seafaring group now shifting heavily from their own language to Manado Malay among younger generations.

They are an indigenous people in the Minahasa-Sangir of Sulawesi people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Protestantism, and they primarily speak Manado Malay.

Pray for the BantikPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Bantik people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2025). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Bantik

Fast facts

Country
Indonesia
Population
20,500
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Minahasa-Sangir of Sulawesi
Primary language
Manado Malay (xmm)
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
North Sulawesi province: Manado city area, 11 villages; north peninsula, northeast section

Where they live

Gospel status

The Bantik 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 Bantik

  • 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

72% adherents

Primary language

Manado Malay · Austronesian family

100% speak Manado Malay

Gospel resources in Manado Malay

  • Bible available, published 2017
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Films

Bibles

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

Pray for the Bantik

  1. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
  2. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
  3. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
  4. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.

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