People group profile · PG041277
The Gareri of India
The Gareri of India, numbering about 920,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Bihar and West Bengal community also known as Pal, an offshoot of the Goala distinguished by their keeping of sheep and weaving of blankets, a craft once considered a degraded occupation.
They are an indigenous people in the Bihari people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Hinduism, and they primarily speak Maithili.
Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 920,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Bihari
- Primary language
- Maithili (mai)
- Primary religion
- Hinduism
- 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
- Bihar: Bhagalpur, Gaya, Munger, Patna, Chapra, Bhojpur, Muzaffarpur, and Darbhanga districts; West Bengal: Midnapur, Burdwan, Bankura, 24 Parganas, and Murshidabad districts
Where they live
Gospel status
The Gareri 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 Gareri
- 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
99% adherents
Primary language
Maithili · Indo-European family
95% speak Maithili
Gospel resources in Maithili
- Bible available, published 2010
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories available
Films
Bibles
- Wycliffe Bible Tranlsators, Inc. · audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Gareri
- 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.
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