People group profile · PG024146
The Bakhtiari of Iran
The Bakhtiari of Iran, numbering about 1,315,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Lur people of the Zagros Mountains whose identity is rooted in the Bakhtiari tribal confederation and a historic tradition of seasonal migration between the highlands and lowland plains of southwestern Iran.
They are an indigenous people in the Luri-Bakhtiari people cluster of the Persian-Median Peoples. Their primary religion is Shia Islam, and they primarily speak Bakhtiari.
Fast facts
- Country
- Iran
- Population
- 1,315,000
- Affinity group
- Central Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Luri-Bakhtiari
- Primary language
- Bakhtiari (bqi)
- Primary religion
- Shia Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Khuzestan province; also west Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Lorestan, and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad provinces; Esfahan and Markazi provinces: Dorud, Masjed-e Soleiman, and Shahr-e Kord
Where they live
Gospel status
The Bakhtiari are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Bakhtiari
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Shia Islam · Islam
90% adherents
Primary language
Bakhtiari · Indo-European family
80% speak Bakhtiari
Gospel resources in Bakhtiari
- Bible available, published -
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Bakhtiari)
Bibles
- WBT Version · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Bakhtiari
- 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.
- 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.
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