People group profile · PG024288
The Meadow Mari of Kazakhstan
The Meadow Mari of Kazakhstan, numbering about 8,800 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a Volga Finnic people of central Russia who speak Meadow Mari. Their culture reflects Finno-Ugric roots and centuries of interaction with neighboring peoples, and many continue to practice the traditional Mari ethnic religion.
They are a diaspora people in the Finno-Ugric people cluster of the Eurasian Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Eastern Mari.
Fast facts
- Country
- Kazakhstan
- Population
- 8,800
- Affinity group
- European Peoples
- People cluster
- Finno-Ugric
- Primary language
- Eastern Mari (mhr)
- Primary religion
- Ethnoreligion
- Strategic Progress Index
- Unengaged and Unreached
- Evangelical
- No Known Evangelicals
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Central Asia, Asia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Meadow Mari are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. 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 No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Meadow Mari
- Pray that God would send workers to this people group
- Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
- Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice
Primary religion
60% adherents
Primary language
Eastern Mari · Uralic family
80% speak Eastern Mari
Gospel resources in Eastern Mari
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings not available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Mari, Low)
Bibles
- Institute for Bible Translation · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Meadow Mari
- 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.
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
Mari, Meadow in other countries
The same people (ROP3 105877) is reported in 3 other countries.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meadow Mari | Russian Federation | 548,000 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Meadow Mari | Uzbekistan | 5,600 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Meadow Mari | Tajikistan | 750 | Unengaged and Unreached |
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