The Gagauzes of Moldova

The Gagauzes of Moldova, numbering approximately 146,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Turkic-speaking people who are predominantly Eastern Orthodox Christians, a combination that makes them quite distinctive among the world's Turkic peoples, most of whom are traditionally Muslim. They mostly adhere to Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Gagauz is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash: Gagauz

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Turkic Peoples
Country: Moldova
People Cluster: Turkic
Primary Language(s): Gagauz (gag)
Primary Religion(s): Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Population: 146,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG000862
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Pray for the Gagauzes of Moldova

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

98%
%
Eastern Orthodox Christia… Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Gagauz
Language Family: Turkic

100%
%
Gagauz Speakers

Media Resources in Gagauz:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Gagauz:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
Institute for Bible Translation, Moscow✓✓✓
Institute for Bible Translation, Moscow✓✓✓

2 entries

Or check out the Gagauz bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Gagauzes are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Next steps for the Gagauzes:
Continue prayer and fasting for this group
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Pray specifically for the Gagauzes of Moldova

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
readRevelation 3:20

Pray that those who have not opened their hearts to Jesus will hear His knock and invite Him in as their Savior and Lord.

After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.
readLuke 5:27-28

Prat that God will prepare many hearts to meet Him when He says, “Follow Me!” and that they will respond in faith, leaving everything behind to follow Him.

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
readPhilippians 3:20-21

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will remember their citizenship is in heaven.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
readMatthew 28:19-20

Ask God to bring people among this group to faith in Jesus who will be obedient to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey all that Christ has commanded.

Gagauz Across Countries (ROP3 - 103132) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

4 people groups

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

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