The Vili of Gabon

The Vili of Gabon, numbering approximately 7,500 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Kongo subgroup called Bavili who founded the Kingdom of Loango before 1485, a major ivory, copper, and cloth trading power that thrived from the 1500s to the 1800s until French occupation ended the kingdom in 1883 amid European colonial rivalry. They mostly adhere to Protestantism and Vili is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Gabon
People Cluster: Bantu, Kongo
Primary Language(s): Vili (vif)
Primary Religion(s): Protestantism
Population: 7,500
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
People Group ID: PG013217
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Vili of Gabon

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

—
%
Protestantism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Vili
Language Family: Atlantic-Congo

100%
%
Vili Speakers

Media Resources in Vili:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Vili:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
Bible Society of Congo Edition✓✓✓

1 entry

Or check out the Vili bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Vili are No Longer Unreached, which means there are more than 2% evangelical Christian populations and there are churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. There is still more to be done among them.

Next steps for the Vili:
Empower local believers to begin praying for their own people
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting
Encourage local leaders to being leading church planting strategy and looking for Unreached and Unengaged groups nearby

Pray specifically for the Vili of Gabon

I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,' and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.
readPsalm 32:5

Pray those who are lost will realize their sin, confess their iniquity, and grow in their understanding of salvation through faith in Christ alone.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
readMatthew 11:28-29

Please pray for them to lift their eyes to Jesus and find rest for their souls, lasting peace, and hope in Him.

But Jesus called them to him, saying "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God."
readLuke 18:16

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will have a burden to share the hope of Christ with children.

For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.
readPsalm 96:4

Pray that God will raise up believers to declare His glory among the lost, so that they may know that He is great and greatly to be praised, that He is exalted above all gods.

Bavili Across Countries (ROP3 - 110565) 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.

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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