The Kele of Congo, Democratic Republic of the

The Kele of Congo, Democratic Republic of the, numbering approximately 663,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a language of Democratic Republic of Congo, former Orientale province: Isangi Territory, on Lomami and Congo rivers. They mostly adhere to Neo-Pentecostalism and Kele (Democratic Republic of Congo) is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Kele

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Congo, Democratic Republic of the
People Cluster: Bantu, Central-Congo
Primary Language(s): Kele (Democratic Republic of Congo) (khy)
Primary Religion(s): Neo-Pentecostalism
Population: 663,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG014583
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Pray for the Kele of Congo, Democratic Republic of the

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: Neo-Pentecostalism
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

—
%
Neo-Pentecostalism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Kele (Democratic Republic of Congo)
Language Family: Atlantic-Congo

100%
%
Kele (Democratic Republic of the Congo) Speakers

Media Resources in Kele (Democratic Republic of Congo):

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Kele (Democratic Republic of Congo):

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Kele (Democratic Republic of Congo) bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Kele 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 Kele:
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 Kele of Congo, Democratic Republic of the

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.
readPsalm 67:4

Pray that those who are lost in darkness and confusion will come to understand God's ways, submit to His righteous rule, and experience the joy of His salvation.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
readMatthew 13: 45-46

Pray that they will recognize the treasure of knowing Christ Jesus and be willing to give up everything else to gain Him.

But you said, "I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude."
readGenesis 32:12

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will experience God's presence and protection even in difficult circumstances, knowing that He will make them fruitful.

The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way.
readPsalm 37:23

Pray that believers from near and far will serve here and trust in the Lord's timing as He establishes their steps.

Kele Across Countries (ROP3 - 104812) 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.

Peoplegroups.org relies on updates from the field and other organizations for much of our data, so if you have any updates, please contact us. We use various international naming standards. For a list of these standards and fields, visit our Data Standards section.

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