People group profile · PG024157
The Gilaki of Iran
The Gilaki of Iran, numbering about 4,385,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of Iran.
They are an indigenous people in the Persian people cluster of the Persian-Median Peoples. Their primary religion is Shia Islam, and they primarily speak Gilaki.
Fast facts
- Country
- Iran
- Population
- 4,385,000
- Affinity group
- Central Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Persian
- Primary language
- Gilaki (glk)
- Primary religion
- Shia Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, Concentrated CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Gilan province: coast south of Caspian and Talish sea
Where they live
Gospel status
The Gilaki 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 but there has been initial or concentrated church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years Concentrated Church Planting
Next steps for the Gilaki
- 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
99% adherents
Primary language
Gilaki · Indo-European family
90% speak Gilaki
Gospel resources in Gilaki
- Bible available, published 2019
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
Bibles
- 2019 Edition · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Gilaki
- 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.