The Kpelle of Liberia

The Kpelle of Liberia, numbering approximately 1,110,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Mande people of central Liberia and neighboring Guinea whose political and social life has traditionally been shaped by Poro and Sande initiation societies. They mostly adhere to Animism and Liberia Kpelle is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Liberia
People Cluster: Mande
Primary Language(s): Liberia Kpelle (xpe)
Primary Religion(s): Animism
Population: 1,110,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 5% or Greater but Less than 10% Evangelical
People Group ID: PG013507
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Kpelle of Liberia

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: Animism
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

37%
%
Animism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Liberia Kpelle
Language Family: Mande

100%
%
Kpelle, Liberia Speakers

Media Resources in Liberia Kpelle:

Films:
Title Link
JESUS View Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Liberia Kpelle:

Bible Name (Translation) Video Audio Text
1967 Bible Society in Liberia ✓ ✓

1 entry

Or check out the Liberia Kpelle bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Kpelle 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 Kpelle:
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 Kpelle of Liberia

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.
readTitus 3:3

Pray for those who seek worldly pleasures instead of God to flee from sin and choose God’s goodness and lovingkindness by placing their faith in Jesus.

Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia."
readRomans 16:5

Pray for houses to be meeting places for Christians and that God will advance the gospel and grow His Church through natural familial and community relationships.

He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.
readPsalm 62:2

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will be in awe of Jesus, remembering that He is their rock, their fortress, and their salvation.

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.
readLuke 10:1

Ask God to raise up, send out, and sustain Christians who can go together to share the good news of Jesus with those who need it.

Kpelle, Liberia Across Countries (ROP3 - 116077) 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.

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