The Kekchi of Belize

The Kekchi of Belize, numbering approximately 22,500 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Maya ethnic group indigenous to the central Guatemalan departments of Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, and Quiché. They mostly adhere to Folk Catholicism and Kekchí is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Latin American and Caribbean Peoples
Country: Belize
People Cluster: Maya
Primary Language(s): Kekchí (kek)
Primary Religion(s): Folk Catholicism
Population: 22,500
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
People Group ID: PG016203
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Kekchi of Belize

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: Folk Catholicism
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

84%
%
Folk Catholicism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Kekchí
Language Family: Mayan

100%
%
Q?eqchi? Speakers

Media Resources in Kekchí:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film
MagdalenaView Film

2 films

Bible Resources in Kekchí:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
2008 Wycliffe Bible Translators Inc.✓✓
Catholic✓

2 entries

Or check out the Kekchí bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Kekchi 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 Kekchi:
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 Kekchi of Belize

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
readRevelation 3:20

Pray that those who have not opened their hearts to Jesus will hear His knock and invite Him in as their Savior and Lord.

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
readIsaiah 43:19

Pray that the lost will see the new thing God can do in their lives and trust in His plan and purpose for them.

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.
read1 Corinthians 9:19

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will have hearts that want to serve the lost around them so that many might come to faith in Jesus.

Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!
readPsalm 34:3

Pray that God will raise up believers who will go to those in this people group who do not yet follow Jesus, and that they will invite many to magnify the Lord with them so that His fame will spread to the ends of the earth.

Kekchi Across Countries (ROP3 - 104806) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

3 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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