Population: 7,348,000
Primary Language: Madura
Primary Religion: Islam (99.87%)
Status of Gospel: Unreached; Few evangelicals (0.08%) and few who identify as Christians (0.11%)
Profile: The Madura people are the third largest people group in Indonesia. The majority of Madura live on the island of Madura and in the eastern part of the island of Java. Other major pockets of Madura people can be found in Jakarta, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and even Singapore. “E tembang pote matah, angok pote tolang” means “it is better to die than to be humiliated”. This is a common Madura sentiment that typifies their nature, a proud and purposeful people, who are known as fierce fighters and very hard workers. They are said to be the most loyal of friends but the fiercest of enemies. The Madura people are renowned for their harsh character and lifestyles. This is probably caused by their natural surroundings and their history of oppression by others, both of which have made life very difficult for them. Nevertheless, their harsh temperament can be seen positively if one examines their work ethic. Most of them work extremely hard and refuse to give up. Neither men nor women shrink from hard work in order to meet basic needs.
Prayer Points:
- Pray for workers to enter the harvest and engage the Madura.