The Mandailing of Indonesia

The Mandailing of Indonesia, numbering approximately 1,300,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Batak people of southern North Sumatra whose identity developed through close ties with the Mandailing homeland and enduring cultural influences from both Batak and Minangkabau traditions. They mostly adhere to Sunni Islam and Batak Mandailing is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Malay Peoples
Country: Indonesia
People Cluster: Batak-Nias of Sumatra
Primary Language(s): Batak Mandailing (btm)
Primary Religion(s): Sunni Islam
Population: 1,300,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG022515
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Mandailing 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

95%
%
Sunni Islam Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Batak Mandailing
Language Family: Austronesian

76%
%
Batak Mandailing Speakers

Media Resources in Batak Mandailing:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Batak Mandailing:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Batak Mandailing bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Mandailing 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 Mandailing:
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 Mandailing of Indonesia

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
readRomans 3:23

Pray that those who live in fear, guilt and discontentment because of sin will see their need for change, hear, and receive the good news of freedom from sin through Christ.

Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia."
readRomans 16:5

Pray for houses to be meeting places for Christians and that God will advance the gospel and grow His Church through natural familial and community relationships.

For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.
readHebrews 10:34

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will have compassion for those in prison, sympathize with those who are mistreated, and continue to do good and share the gospel with others.

For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.
readPsalm 96:4

Pray that God will raise up believers to declare His glory among the lost, so that they may know that He is great and greatly to be praised, that He is exalted above all gods.

Batak Mandailing Across Countries (ROP3 - 101126) 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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