People group profile · PG024517
The Wakhi of Tajikistan
The Wakhi of Tajikistan, numbering about 17,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an Eastern Iranian ethnic group native to the Pamir Mountains and surrounding high-altitude regions of Central Asia.
They are an indigenous people in the Tajik people cluster of the Persian-Median Peoples. Their primary religion is Shia Islam, and they primarily speak Wakhi.
Fast facts
- Country
- Tajikistan
- Population
- 17,000
- Affinity group
- Central Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Tajik
- Primary language
- Wakhi (wbl)
- 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
- Central Asia, Asia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Wakhi 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 No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Wakhi
- 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
95% adherents
Primary language
Wakhi · Indo-European family
80% speak Wakhi
Gospel resources in Wakhi
- Bible available
- JESUS Film not available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Wakhi
- 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.
Khik (Wakhi) in other countries
The same people (ROP3 103535) is reported in 3 other countries.
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