The Central Teke of Congo

The Central Teke of Congo, numbering approximately 130,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are described as a people of Congo, Plateaux region, around Djambala They are an Indigenous people, with Teke as their ethnic/kinship group and are in the Bantu, Northwest people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. They mostly adhere to Protestantism and Teke-Nzikou is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Teke, Central

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Congo
People Cluster: Bantu, Northwest
Primary Language(s): Teke-Nzikou (nzu)
Primary Religion(s): Protestantism
Population: 130,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG012964
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Central Teke of Congo

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: Protestantism
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

39%
%
Protestantism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Teke-Nzikou
Language Family: Sign Language

100%
%
Teke-Nzikou Speakers

Media Resources in Teke-Nzikou:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Teke-Nzikou:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Teke-Nzikou bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Central Teke 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 Central Teke:
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 Central Teke of Congo

Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.
readRomans 11:22

Pray that God will transform those who persist in unbelief and, in His everlasting kindness, graft them into His family.

Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.
readPsalm 119:97

Pray that the lost will have access to God's Word in their language and treasure it deeply, meditating on God's promises and precepts.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
readJames 1:5

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will ask God for wisdom when they lack it, trusting that He will generously give it to them.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
readPsalm 23:6

Ask God to raise up believers who will share the hope that, for those who trust in Christ, goodness and love will follow them all the days of their lives, and they will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Teke, Central Across Countries (ROP3 - 101939) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

2 people groups

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

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