Lausanne World Pulse – A Focus on South Pacific and Southeast Asia: 661 Least-reached People Groups Remain

June 2007

Overview
The first missionaries who went to the twenty-seven island nations of the South Pacific two hundred years ago were stunned by the beautiful green landscapes and women with long, black hair. But they were also appalled by immorality, human sacrifices and idolatry. Thanks to the hard work of these missionary pioneers, it is difficult to find ethnic groups in this part of the world who have no contact with the gospel; however, there do remain between twenty-five and thirty least-reached people groups.

There are twenty-seven nations in the South Pacific.

Cocos (Keeling) Islands only has a population of about six hundred people; however, 68.9% are least-reached (Islamic). Australia has nearly 391,000 least-reached people in ten groups, mostly immigrants and Jews. Today, the Pacific Islanders are taking the gospel a step further—they are sending and being sent as missionaries themselves. Pray for this region with the lowest number of remaining least-reached peoples, that God would quickly establish vibrant fellowships of believers among all of them so that all South Pacific peoples join together to glorify God.

There are eleven nations in Southeast Asia.

Did you know that many peoples in the eleven nations of Southeast Asia were once Hindus, later Buddhists, but today they are Muslim? Most peoples in this region of color and diversity are either Buddhist or Muslim and over six hundred people groups remain least-reached. The gospel is making small inroads; however, few people groups have embraced Jesus other than a few tribes in northern Thailand and Myanmar. Five countries have least-reached populations of over fifty percent; some have up to 95.2% (Cambodia) least-reached peoples! Indonesia is a huge challenge with over two hundred least-reached peoples and over 130 million least-reached population! We need to pray for the spiritual obstacles to be removed.