People group profile · PG023045
The Sentani of Indonesia
The Sentani of Indonesia, numbering about 42,500 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Papuan ethnolinguistic people of the Lake Sentani region in Papua, Indonesia. They maintain a distinct identity rooted in lake-based communities, customary leadership, artistic traditions, and long-standing ties to the Sentani basin.
They are an indigenous people in the New Guinea people cluster of the Pacific Islander Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Sentani.

Fast facts
- Country
- Indonesia
- Population
- 42,500
- Affinity group
- Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
- People cluster
- New Guinea
- Primary language
- Sentani (set)
- Primary religion
- Animism
- Strategic Progress Index ?
- No Longer Unreached
- Evangelical
- 15% or Greater but Less than 20%
- GSEC ?
- 10% or Greater Evangelical
- Lostness priority ?
- Moderately Reached People Group
- Region
- South-Eastern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Papua province: Lake Sentani area, about 30 scattered villages; scattered in other parts of Indonesia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Sentani 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 Sentani
- 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
Animism · Ethnoreligion
80% adherents
Primary language
Sentani · Sentanic family
100% speak Sentani
Gospel resources in Sentani
- Bible available, published 1997
- JESUS Film not available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Bibles
- 1997 Yayasan Sumber Dejahtera · video, audio
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Sentani
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.