Reaching the Sundanese People of Indonesia

“Praise God for the many blessings I have received, and I am very grateful for the spiritual program in Sundanese language that has been accompanying me. I hope many more people can access this program too. And Praise God my child has accepted to follow Jesus. God is great.” 

The Sundanese people represent the largest unreached people group in Indonesia. Their homeland lies in the province of West Java, where they have lived for generations. They are known for their strong devotion to Islam, which Joshua Project estimates as comprising 99.4% of the 39 million population. Only 0.06% of Sundanese people identify as evangelical Christian.  

During the years of Dutch colonialism, a division was formed between the Europeans and the Sundanese, who came to view the good news as foreign. To become Christian is to become like the colonizers. In traditional Sundanese society, following Jesus is synonymous with deserting one’s Sundanese identity.  

Ministry among the Sundanese is undeniably arduous, but not impossible. It is often when they experience the love of Christ in real, practical and culturally relevant ways that they learn that the gospel is for them, too. 

But for those who embrace the gospel, the road ahead is far from easy. It is a journey marked with opposition, persecution and intense pressure from their families and communities to renounce their newfound faith, as there is almost zero tolerance of family members who do so. 

“Praise the Lord! Our family has been deeply blessed by the program and I learned a lot from Hebrews 13:5-6. Living in a village where many question our faith and treat us with disdain, it can be challenging. We’re often isolated and rejected, but I hold tightly to God’s promise that he will never leave us. God is our helper, and we will not fear others. His faithfulness and mercy sustain us, and we continue to trust in his promises every day.” 

TWR’s national partner in Indonesia reaches the Sundanese through FM radio broadcasts of programs such as The Way of Righteousness (Sundanese); Women of Hope (Indonesian); and The Story of Jesus as well as pre-evangelistic programs that provide health awareness and education.  

In addition to the radio broadcasts, outreach is also done through audio players. These devices are essential for listener groups in areas where radio broadcasts are not an option. These small groups of five to seven listeners gather regularly to listen to the programs, fellowship and pray for one another. By partnering with local Christian leaders, the listeners are shepherded in their faith and TWR’s national partner manages to gather feedback on the programs.   

TWR’s national partner in Indonesia hopes to expand the outreach to the Sundanese people and forming additional listener groups, distributing radios and audio players to those who need them the most. God willing, more programs can be produced in the Sundanese language so this people group may richly encounter God’s good news of hope and salvation. 

Images: (top, banner) Known as the largest unreached people group in Indonesia, only 0.06% of the Sundanese people know Jesus, (middle, right) facts and figures collected through TWR and Joshua Project.