People group profile · PG042740
The West Gurage of Ethiopia
The West Gurage of Ethiopia, numbering about 3,065,000 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a Semitic-speaking people of central Ethiopia associated with the western portion of the Gurage cultural area. They are part of the broader Gurage ethnolinguistic complex and are identified particularly with speakers of Sebat Bet Gurage.
They are an indigenous people in the Ethio-Semitic people cluster of the Horn of Africa Peoples. Their primary religion is Tewahedo Orthodox Christianity, and they primarily speak Sebat Bet Gurage.
Fast facts
- Country
- Ethiopia
- Population
- 3,065,000
- Affinity group
- Northern African and Middle Eastern Peoples
- People cluster
- Ethio-Semitic
- Primary language
- Sebat Bet Gurage (sgw)
- Primary religion
- Tewahedo Orthodox Christianity
- 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
- Eastern Africa, Africa
- Location
- Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ region: west Gurage zone; Emdibir area (Chaha dialect); Agenna (Ezha dialect); Gura Megenase and Wirir areas (Gura dialect); K’abul and K’want’e (Gyeto dialect); Ch’eza area, mountains north of Chaha and Ezha
Where they live
Gospel status
The West Gurage 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 West Gurage
- 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
Tewahedo Orthodox Christianity · Christianity
45% adherents
Primary language
Sebat Bet Gurage · Afro-Asiatic family
100% speak Sebat Bet Gurage
Gospel resources in Sebat Bet Gurage
- Bible available, published 2010
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- Magdalena (Gurage, West)
Bibles
- 1982 Bible Society of Ethiopia · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the West Gurage
- 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.
Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.