The Eastern Kanjobal of Guatemala

The Eastern Kanjobal of Guatemala, numbering approximately 227,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Mayan ethnic group indigenous to the Huehuetenango department of northern Guatemala. They mostly adhere to Ethnoreligion and Q'anjob'al is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite: Kanjobal

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Latin American and Caribbean Peoples
Country: Guatemala
People Cluster: Maya
Primary Language(s): Q'anjob'al (kjb)
Primary Religion(s): Ethnoreligion
Population: 227,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG024729
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Eastern Kanjobal of Guatemala

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Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Ethnoreligion
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

—
%
Ethnoreligion Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Q'anjob'al
Language Family: Mayan

80%
%
Q’anjob’al Speakers

Media Resources in Q'anjob'al:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Q'anjob'al:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
1989 Bible Society of Guatemala✓

1 entry

Or check out the Q'anjob'al bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Eastern Kanjobal 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 Eastern Kanjobal:
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 Eastern Kanjobal of Guatemala

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
readJohn 3:18

Pray for those who are living under the burden of their sin to believe in Jesus, the only Son of God, and receive freedom.

I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
readPsalm 34:4

Pray for each who becomes a child of God to share the hope of eternity with family and friends.

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
readActs 2:42

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will devote themselves to God's Word, to fellowship with each other, and to prayer.

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
readActs 17:30

Pray that those God sends to cross cultures will boldly and lovingly declare that God commands all people everywhere to repent.

Kanjobal, Eastern Across Countries (ROP3 - 102845) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

2 people groups

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