People group profile · PG022886
The Tontemboa of Indonesia
The Tontemboa of Indonesia, numbering about 231,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a highland Minahasan people of North Sulawesi's interior, one of the region's founding sub-groups by tradition descended from the ancestral pair Toar and Lumimuut, whose village confederations once governed before Dutch control began in 1657.
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 Tontemboan.
Fast facts
- Country
- Indonesia
- Population
- 231,000
- Affinity group
- Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
- People cluster
- Minahasa-Sangir of Sulawesi
- Primary language
- Tontemboan (tnt)
- Primary religion
- Protestantism
- Strategic Progress Index
- No Longer Unreached
- Evangelical
- 10% or Greater but Less than 15%
- GSEC
- 10% or Greater Evangelical
- Lostness priority
- Moderately Reached People Group
- Region
- South-Eastern Asia, Asia
- Location
- North Sulawesi province: Minahasa Selatan regency on Amurang bay inland; Minahasa and Minahasa Tenggara regencies, Lake Tondano southeast strip to coast
Where they live
Gospel status
The Tontemboa 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 Tontemboa
- 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
Tontemboan · Austronesian family
76% speak Tontemboan
Gospel resources in Tontemboan
- Bible available, published 2018
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
Bibles
- Indonesian Bible Society · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Tontemboa
- 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.
- 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.
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