by “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd” (Jn 10:16).
Until I read John Piper’s book, Let the Nations Be Glad, I was pretty naïve about the world of frontier missions — the need to preach the gospel where Christ has not yet been named (Rom 15:20). Most keenly I was naïve about the numbers of people and people groups, even within Kenya, who are yet to hear the good news that Christ has come for their salvation.
But if we believe that our salvation is the greatest news in the world, then we cannot be stingy with the gift. Like the lepers in Samaria in 2 Kings 7 who discovered an Aramean stash of food and gold during a deadly siege and realized they couldn’t keep the news of their salvation a secret while the city was starving, we too have to reach others who are perishing that they may know a Savior came.
Most importantly God desires that his name might be proclaimed in all the earth (Rom 9:17); that the knowledge of his glory might cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Hab 2:14); that all the nations he has made may come and bow before him and glorify him (Ps 86:9; Ps 22:27) and that a countless throng from every nation, language, tribe and tongue may come to worship Him before his throne (Rev 5:9; 7:9).
For all nations to know God and worship Him one day, missions is necessary. As theologian John Piper famously said, “Missions exists because worship doesn’t… Worship is the goal and the fuel of missions… Missions is our way of saying: the joy of knowing Christ is not a private, or tribal, or national or ethnic privilege. It is for all. And that’s why we go. Because we have tasted the joy of worshiping Jesus, and we want all the families of the earth included.”
Goers and senders
Is God growing a holy concern in you to see the nations worship Him? Do you have a concern for the lost who need to hear the Good News? There is no other name under heaven given to man by which we must be saved – Christ’s name must be proclaimed. Christ left his church with a commission to make disciples of the nations. In the book Desiring God, Piper writes, “Christ is under a divine necessity to gather His own sheep. He must do it… Jesus makes this plain when He says, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word” (John 17:20).” The church has to preach the good news of God’s kingdom to the ends of the earth. A preacher I heard recently paraphrased William Cary and said: “You go or you send; you cannot say, ‘I cannot'”. Piper says that we are either goers, senders or the disobedient.
Frontier missionaries will cross cultures and plant the church where it’s not. Those who don’t go too have the great task of sending. “Senders are crucial along with goers… they hold the rope for the miner and continue to do so until they die,” says Piper while using an analogy used by William Carey, often referred to as the father of the modern mission movement. Carey while going to India in 1792 saw his mission as a miner penetrating into a deep mine and told his friends: “I will go down, if you will hold the rope.” Senders are the ones who hold the rope for the frontier missionary to preach the gospel where Christ has not been named. They pray, they mobilise resources, they send the missionary, they support, they call to check on the missionary, they welcome the missionary back to their homes for refreshing. Recently I came across a group called “Women in Mission” who walk alongside missionaries, ensuring they receive rest, care and community as they serve. They visit the missionaries in the field, providing a time of rest and offering a food basket as a gift of encouragement and offer retreats where the missionary can get refreshed away from the field. God has all sorts of workers in his fields!
In Kenya, many communities do not have access to the gospel and others have very few gospel witnesses. According to a 2025 research publication by Mission Campaign Network (MCN & Gen12), Finish The Task (FFT) and the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya profiling least reached people groups, in 2004 there were 25 groups unreached by the gospel. Over the past two decades, there has been focused mobilization by mission agencies, churches, student ministries and even individuals to expose these least-reached people groups to the Good News and now six out of the 25 communities are no longer classified as least reached. This is because they have surpassed the threshold of at least a 5% total Christian population and 2% evangelical Christian population. These are the Samburu, Borana, Daasanach, Ilchamus, the Deaf and Dorobo communities. The publication notes that while this is significant progress, these communities still require support in leadership development, evangelism and contextual discipleship.
The task in Kenya
The remaining 20 least-reached people groups according to the above study are: Ajuran, Arial-Rendiles, Aweer, Bajun, Chinese, Digo, Gabbra, Ilwana, Munyoyaya, Orma, Rendille, Sakuye, Somali, Swahili, Waata, wardei, South Asians, Nubi, Arabs and Garreh.
The Ajuran are a Somali clan at the Horn of Africa with a total population of 179,235, less than 10 gospel workers and no known local congregations. A Bible translation is ongoing but they need more literature and media in their language. Among the Arabs with a population of 59,021, there are few gospel workers and no known congregations. Majority live in Mombasa, Malindi and Lamu. The Aweer (Boni) are one of Kenya’s most marginalsied tribes and live primarily in the Boni forest. Less than 1% are Christian, with no known local churches. The Bajun, with a 90k population, live around Lamu and less than 0.3% are Christian. They lack a Bible in their local dialect. While the Digo along the coast have a Bible in their language, only 1.94% are Christians. The Garreh at the Horn of Africa are overwhelmingly Muslim, with a 0.14% Christian population, few gospel workers and no known local churches. They need churches that will adopt them for a longterm partnership and for more missionaries.
The Nubi in Kenya total around 21,000 and less than 3% are Christian, with no known gospel workers, local churches or sending agencies. They are mainly in Nairobi, with smaller populations in Eldama Ravine, Kisumu, Kisii, Mumias and Bungoma. The Orma live in Tana River County and only 0.3% are Christian. They need more gospel workers who are willing to endure hardship for the cause of Christ. The Somalis in Kenya with a population of over two million only total 0.25% Christian population and a miniscule fraction of evangelicals. They are majorly Sunni Muslim and conversions remain few, often linked to dreams and visions. Pray for Somali believers facing isolation or persecution.
Another community with two million strong members is the South Asians comprising descendants of immigrants from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Exposure to Christianity ahs been limited (0.25%) due to social separation and most are Hindu, Muslim, Jain or Sikh. Waswahili wa Pwani include the Amu, Barawa, Chitundi, Jomvu, Mvita, Wafaza, Wakatwa, Wapemba, Wakilifi, Wakilindini, Wamtwapa, Washaka and Watangana. Less than 2% are evangelicals. The Wardei in Tana River and Garissa have a 0.17 Christian presence, few gospel workers and no Bible translation in their language.
The MCN/FTT/EAK data shows a total of 3.95 million people among the least reached with the gospel.
How you can be involved:
As a church, adopt an unreached people group and commit to:
- Dedicate regular prayer times for the people group’s spiritual and physical needs. Pray for openness to the gospel, that God will soften hearts, break spiritual barriers and create opportunities for them to hear and believe the gospel, pray for protection for believers and wisdom fro those working among them.
- Learn about the people and the challenges they face.
- Encourage members to give financially or materially to missionaries and projects working with the group.
- Build relationships with churches, leaders and communities within the people group and plan short term missions to encourage local believers or assist in practical projects.
- Be patient and consistent over the long-term. Transformation often takes years.
