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

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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

Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.
readMark 10:15

Pray for those who might be trapped in pride, that God will humble them and give them a childlike faith and complete dependence on Him through faith in Christ.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
readMatthew 6:10

Pray that God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven, and that people will seek His kingdom and righteousness above all else, trusting in His provision.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
readRomans 8:38-39

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will have confidence in their salvation, knowing that nothing can separate them from the One who conquered death and loves them as His children.

Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.”
readPsalm 96:10

Pray for God to put in the hearts of believers to go to the lost and testify about the Lord who reigns.

Tiene Across Countries (ROP3 - 110047) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

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