Kela in Papua New Guinea

People Name:	Kela
Country:	Papua New Guinea
10/40 Window:	No
Population:	4,500
World Population:	4,500
Primary Language:	Kala
Primary Religion:	Christianity
Christian Adherents:	95.00 %
Evangelicals:	27.00 %
Scripture:	Portions
Online Audio NT:	Yes
Jesus Film:	No
Audio Recordings:	Yes
People Cluster:	New Guinea
Affinity Bloc:	Pacific Islanders
Progress Level:

Introduction / History

Most Kala people live in the coastal villages of Papua New Guinea's Huon Gulf area that their families have lived in for generations, but some live in Lae and other cities of the nation. Most Kala speakers support themselves through fishing and keeping small gardens. Many also have relatives who have jobs in towns and they depend on those relatives to help them financially for things that require money such as the annual fees they must pay for their children to attend school.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Most Kala people consider themselves Christians. But all too often their Christian beliefs do not seem relevant to the most important areas of their lives. They live in fear of evil spirits, ghosts and sorcerers who might secretly be working magic to cause them or their children to die. They feel worthless and have a hard time believing that God really loves them. When someone become very ill or dies unexpectedly, people see it as judgment for sin, a result of sorcery or a result of ghosts who are acting against them. They have no Bible in their language and so an effort has begun to let the people hear directly from the Word for themselves and become true disciples of the Lord Jesus.