The Kerinci of Indonesia

The Kerinci of Indonesia, numbering approximately 359,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an Indigenous Malay community of central Sumatra associated with the Jambi cultural sphere whose identity reflects centuries of interaction among inland and riverine populations along the Batang Hari watershed. They mostly adhere to Sunni Islam and Kerinci is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite: Kerinci

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Malay Peoples
Country: Indonesia
People Cluster: Minangkabau-Rejang of Sumatra
Primary Language(s): Kerinci (kvr)
Primary Religion(s): Sunni Islam
Population: 359,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG022499
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Kerinci of Indonesia

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: Sunni Islam
Religious Affiliation: Islam

100%
%
Sunni Islam Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Kerinci
Language Family: Austronesian

100%
%
Kerinci Speakers

Media Resources in Kerinci:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Kerinci:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Kerinci bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Kerinci 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 Kerinci:
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 Kerinci of Indonesia

You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it.
readPsalm 65:9

Give thanks for God's provision in nature, and pray that those who don't know Him will recognize His hand, desire to know their Creator, and hear the truth that Jesus is the solution to the world's greatest need.

As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.
readMatthew 13:23

Pray that their hearts will have good soil that receives the Word, understands it, and bears fruit for God's kingdom.

Praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
readActs 2:47

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, God will use their faith and their church community as a testimony to the watching world and grow His Church.

For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
readActs 13:47

Pray that as people come to faith, they will follow the Lord's leading to go to their neighbors and share the treasure they found in Christ.

Kerinci Across Countries (ROP3 - 104863) 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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