Celebrating Breakthrough in Indonesia: Unengaged No More

Decades ago, Pioneers played a catalytic role in launching IMPACT (Indo-Malay Partners in Action), an international, multi-agency network focused on Southeast Asia. This network brought together churches, believers and ministries from all over and became one of the strongest collaborative efforts to reach Muslims on the planet.

One of the first challenges they took on was assessing what it would take for people across the region to hear the gospel and see it lived out by people like them. At the core of the challenge lay the unreached people groups in Indonesia, including 132 groups with populations of 10,000 or more.

Most of these groups were not only unreached but also unengaged. They didn’t have anyone working among them to establish self-sustaining churches committed to sharing Christ and making disciples in culturally appropriate ways.

A daunting task

Can we take a minute to consider the size and complexity of Indonesia?

• The largest and most populous country in Southeast Asia
• The world’s fourth-most populous country, with 285 million people
• Home to more Muslims than any other country, some 242 million
• A land of diverse cultures and contexts
• Spread across some 6,000 inhabited islands

Indonesian ministry leaders and many others banded together to research the people groups, languages, opportunities and obstacles. They worked tirelessly to raise up laborers to go to the unreached peoples and places of this significant country. Besides those who relocated for the gospel, many prayed, gave and advocated for ministry among the peoples of Indonesia.

A fruitful harvest

As a result, many across Indonesia have had new opportunities to hear the gospel and see it lived out. Thousands put their faith in Christ and even trusted Him to use them to spread the gospel to other parts of their country and beyond. Churches have been planted. Disciples are making disciples. New ministries are springing up, even in some of the most challenging locations. God is raising up Indonesians as messengers of the gospel.

The last of the unengaged people groups

In 1996, only 20 of Indonesia’s 132 unreached groups with populations over 10,000 had anyone trying to reach them with the gospel. At the 25th annual IMPACT conference in February 2025, leaders announced that, according to their data, all 132 groups are currently “engaged.”

While there is still much work to be done to see the gospel spread and take root, let’s give God glory for this significant step!

The network was also able to confirm that 30 of the previously unreached groups now include more than 1,000 former Muslims who have been baptized and are meeting regularly for worship in small groups, groups that have multiplied to the fourth generation or more. That means they exceed the thresholds to be considered movements. It also means that there are more than 30,000 new believers in those 30 groups alone. Praise the Lord!

30 of the previously unreached groups now have at least 1,000 baptized believers in small groups multiplying to the fourth generation or more!

Pioneers has had a significant presence in Southeast Asia for decades. We’re thrilled to have played a part in this breakthrough, working side by side with many others God has raised up.

• Recently, God used Pioneers workers to engage one of the last unengaged groups by starting a business that gave believers access to a remote island. 
• We also supported an Indonesian missionary sending agency that is now fielding teams to two more of the last, previously unengaged groups.

To connect with this incredible collaborative network, visit the IMPACT website or send them an email. Their next annual gathering will be held in March of 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Looking ahead

As we celebrate what God has done, we long to see more collaboration and more breakthroughs in this region and other places that still have little access to the life-giving gospel.  

Across Pioneers, we are asking God to expand our impact and allow us the privilege of engaging 250 more unreached people groups in the next 10 years.

Through Embark250, we are seeing God reinvigorate our commitment to engage unreached peoples and places with the gospel. We look to Him to raise up a new wave of followers of Jesus to engage the unreached in innovative and creative ways. Thanks for praying with us!