The Tiene of Congo, Democratic Republic of the

The Tiene of Congo, Democratic Republic of the, numbering approximately 111,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Bantu people of western DRC associated with the Congo River and adjacent inland country around Bolobo, whose Tiene language, also called Tiini or Tende, belongs to the Teke-related Bantu languages. They mostly adhere to Roman Catholicism and Tiene is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Congo, Democratic Republic of the
People Cluster: Bantu, Central-South
Primary Language(s): Tiene (tii)
Primary Religion(s): Roman Catholicism
Population: 111,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG014740
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Tiene 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: Roman Catholicism
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

73%
%
Roman Catholicism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Tiene
Language Family: Atlantic-Congo

100%
%
Tiene Speakers

Media Resources in Tiene:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Tiene:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Tiene bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

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

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
readPsalm 20:7

Pray for those who trust in anything other than the Lord to be convicted of their sin and learn about what Jesus did for them so that they can choose to trust in Him.

And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.
readActs 13:48-49

Pray that the gospel will spread throughout this whole region and that many will believe and embrace the gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.

And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!"
readMark 7:9

Pray that as men, women, boys, and girls place their faith in Christ, they will let go of any traditions that do not honor Him.

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.

Tiene Across Countries (ROP3 - 110047) 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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