Zenag in Papua New Guinea

Zenag
Send Joshua Project a photo
of this people group.
Send Joshua Project a map of this people group.
People Name: Zenag
Country: Papua New Guinea
10/40 Window: No
Population: 6,600
World Population: 6,600
Primary Language: Zenag
Primary Religion: Christianity
Christian Adherents: 98.00 %
Evangelicals: 22.00 %
Scripture: Translation Needed
Online Audio NT: No
Jesus Film: No
Audio Recordings: No
People Cluster: New Guinea
Affinity Bloc: Pacific Islanders
Progress Level:

Introduction / History

The Zenag people live in the Bulolo District of Morobe Province. They live in two areas, separated by the land of the Kumalu people, but joined by the snaking Wampit River. All Zenag people continue to use their traditional language as their main language, although they also speak Tok Pisin when communicating with others. There is some mutual intelligibility between the Zenag language and that of Patep.

What Are Their Lives Like?

The villagers rely on their land for their subsistence, growing food crops, betel nut and coconut, and raising livestock. Betelnut is exchanged and consumed at cultural and social gatherings. Some also grow coffee as a source of cash. Bulolo produces some of the finest arabica coffee in the world.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Almost all the Zenag people are Christian. They need a greater hunger and thirst for righteousness that can only come from the Holy Spirit.

What Are Their Needs?

There is some mutual intelligibility between the Zenag language and that of Patep. Thank God the Patep New Testament was translated in 1986 and is now available online. The Patep people are highly literate by local standards—almost half of the Patep people can read and write their own language. Please pray that those who speak Zenag and Patep would hear God's call to share his good news clearly with the Zenag people.

Prayer Points

Pray that God assigns workers to bring his word to the Zenag, including in an audio format that all Zenag people can access.
Pray that the Zenag people will be full of gratitude to God for his blessings, and that God continues to provide for their material and spiritual needs.

Text Source:   Joshua Project