People group profile · PG041244
The Bhil of India
The Bhil of India, numbering about 20,550,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a large, geographically dispersed Adivasi people of western and central India whose identity is rooted in clan-based social organization, forest and agricultural livelihoods, indigenous religious traditions, and cultural resistance to external domination.
They are an indigenous people in the Bhil people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Hinduism, and they primarily speak Bhili.
Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 20,550,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Bhil
- Primary language
- Bhili (bhb)
- Primary religion
- Folk Hinduism
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, Dispersed CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Expanding Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Gujarat: Dohad, Panch Mahals, and Sabarkantha districts; Madhya Pradesh: Dhar, Indore, Jhabua, Khargone, and Ratlam districts; Rajasthan: Banswara, Dungapur, and Udaipur districts
Where they live
Gospel status
The Bhil 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 dispersed church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years Dispersed Church Planting
Next steps for the Bhil
- 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
Folk Hinduism · Hinduism
98% adherents
Primary language
Bhili · Indo-European family
100% speak Bhili
Gospel resources in Bhili
- Bible available, published 1930
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Bhil
- 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.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
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