People group profile · PG046602
The Western Pwo Karen of Myanmar
The Western Pwo Karen of Myanmar, numbering about 210,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic subgroup of the Karen, an ethnic group indigenous to Kayin State in southeastern Myanmar.
They are an indigenous people in the Karen people cluster of the Southeast Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Pwo Western Karen.
Fast facts
- Country
- Myanmar
- Population
- 210,000
- Affinity group
- Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
- People cluster
- Karen
- Primary language
- Pwo Western Karen (pwo)
- Primary religion
- Animism
- Strategic Progress Index
- No Longer Unreached
- Evangelical
- 2% or Greater but Less than 5%
- GSEC
- 2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
- Lostness priority
- Marginally Reached People Group
- Region
- South-Eastern Asia, Asia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Western Pwo Karen are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 2% evangelical.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Western Pwo Karen
- Pray for the churches among this group to grow in faithfulness and maturity
- Equip believers to reach the unreached peoples around them
- Send out laborers from this people to the nations
Primary religion
Animism · Ethnoreligion
61% adherents
Primary language
Pwo Western Karen · Sino-Tibetan family
73% speak Pwo Western Karen
Gospel resources in Pwo Western Karen
- Bible available, published 1926
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Karen, Pwo)
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Western Pwo Karen
- 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.
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