The Goulai of Chad

The Goulai of Chad, numbering approximately 534,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are described as one of twelve Sara subgroups of southern Chad, whose oral tradition traces ancestry to the Sao people displaced from the Nile's banks by Arab slave traders around the 16th century, organized into chiefdoms by the 19th century They are an Indigenous people, with Goulai as their ethnic/kinship group and are in the Sara-Bagirmi people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. They mostly adhere to Neo-Pentecostalism and Gulay is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Goulai

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Chad
People Cluster: Sara-Bagirmi
Primary Language(s): Gulay (gvl)
Primary Religion(s): Neo-Pentecostalism
Population: 534,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG011354
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Goulai of Chad

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: Neo-Pentecostalism
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

88%
%
Neo-Pentecostalism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Gulay
Language Family: Central Sudanic

100%
%
Gulay Speakers

Media Resources in Gulay:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Gulay:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
2004 Bible Society of Chad✓✓✓

1 entry

Or check out the Gulay bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Goulai 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 Goulai:
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 Goulai of Chad

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
readRomans 1:18

Pray that God will have mercy and open the eyes of those who don't know Jesus, so that they can turn to the One who is able to save them from their sins.

And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.
read2 Timothy 2:2

Pray that the lost will come to faith in Christ and be discipled in the truth of the gospel, becoming faithful followers of Jesus who, in turn, make disciples themselves.

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
readColossians 3:1

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
readHebrews 4:12

Pray that God will make His living and active Word available to everyone in this people group so that many will respond to the gospel. Ask Him to provide Jesus-followers to walk with new believers as they grow in Him.

Goulai Across Countries (ROP3 - 103462) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

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

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