People group profile · PG041578
The Tibetans of India
The Tibetans of India, numbering about 153,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an indigenous community of Tibeto-Burman people inhabiting the Trans-Himalaya region that divides India and Nepal from Tibet.
They are an indigenous people in the Tibetan people cluster of the Tibetan Peoples. Their primary religion is Tibetan Buddhism, and they primarily speak Tibetan.
Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 153,000
- Affinity group
- Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
- People cluster
- Tibetan
- Primary language
- Tibetan (bod)
- Primary religion
- Tibetan Buddhism
- 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
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Himachal Pradesh state: Tibet border; Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Delhi, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand states
Where they live
Gospel status
The Tibetans 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 Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Tibetans
- 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
Tibetan Buddhism · Buddhism
100% adherents
Primary language
Tibetan · Sino-Tibetan family
100% speak Tibetan
Gospel resources in Tibetan
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Lhasa, Tibetan)
Bibles
- 2016-2021 New Tibetan Bible Committee · video, audio, text
- Central Tibetan Bible · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Tibetans
- 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.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
Tibetan, Central in other countries
The same people (ROP3 110033) is reported in 7 other countries.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Tibetans | China | 1,195,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Tibetans | Nepal | 160,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Tibetans | United States | 12,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Tibetans | Bhutan | 5,900 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Tibetans | Canada | 5,300 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Tibetans | Sweden | 1,000 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Tibetans | Taiwan | 400 | Unengaged and Unreached |
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