June 2004: This page is being discontinued.
This people group is no longer on our least reached list.
BUNGKU OF INDONESIA
LOCATION : central Sulawesi
POPULATION : 21,500
LANGUAGE : Bungku (Nahine)
PEOPLE CLUSTER : Tukangbesi
RELIGION : Muslim (Sunni) 99.9%
% OF CHRISTIANITY : 0%
SCRIPTURE : None
RADIO BROADCAST : None
JESUS FILM : None
GOSPEL AUDIO RECORDING : Available
CHURCH PLANTING TEAM / MISSION AGENCY WORKING AMONG THEM : 0
The Bungku of Indonesia are located in central Sulawesi. They are close neighbors to the Tolaki and the Mori. Very little is known about the Bungku in particular, but it is assumed that their lifestyle and culture are very similar to their close neighbors. Although their history remains largely unknown, it is believed that the Bungku have been in their present location for at least 400 years. Their language, which is also called Bungku, is a part of the Austronesian language family.
For the Bungku, maize grown in swiddens (land cleared by the "slash and burn" method) is the staple crop, but sweet potatoes, sugarcane, vegetables, tobacco, and coffee are also grown. Their homes are usually built on stilts, are generally made of woven grasses and have very high roofs. Bungku marriage customs require payments to the girl's family at the time of the engagement and again at the marriage. The amount of the bride-price depends upon the social rank of the young man. Prior to marriage, he is required to serve a probationary period with his prospective in-laws, and this requirement gives rise to a high degree of elopement. In the past, slaves and their descendants were not permitted to marry each other, though they could live together. Also, women of the noble class did not marry commoners. Polygyny (having more than one wife) was common among some of the aristocracy but is rarely found today.
The Bungku are 99.9% Sunni Muslim. However, traditional beliefs are still very important, especially the belief in evil spirits. Among the Bungku, Christianity is virtually non-existent.
The Bungku have no Christian resources in their own language, and there are no missions agencies currently working among them. There is a great need for the Bible and other materials to be translated into their language. Intercession is the key to seeing the Bungku reached.
PRAYER POINTS
- Ask the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers to work among the Bungku of Indonesia.
- Pray that the Jesus film and Christian radio broadcasts will soon be available to the Bungku.
- Ask the Lord to raise up qualified linguists to translate the Bible into the Bungku language.
- Ask the Lord to save key leaders among the Bungku who will boldly declare the Gospel.
- Take authority over the spiritual principalities and powers that have kept the Bungku bound for many generations.
- Ask God to raise up prayer teams who will begin breaking up the soil through worship and intercession.
- Pray that strong local churches will be raised up among the Bungku.
links to related infromation: www.joshuaproject.net , http://www.bethanynorth.com/profiles/profile1.html
