People group profile · PG012313
The Cenka of Benin
The Cenka of Benin, numbering about 2,900 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Mande-speaking Borgu region people, also called Kyenga or Tyenga, whose farming communities in Benin and Nigeria are shifting from their own language toward Hausa and Dendi, Islam having grown dominant over the past seven decades alongside older animism.
They are an indigenous people in the Mande people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Kyanga.
Fast facts
- Country
- Benin
- Population
- 2,900
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Mande
- Primary language
- Kyanga (tye)
- Primary religion
- Animism
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- No Known Evangelicals
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Western Africa, Africa
Where they live
Gospel status
The Cenka are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Cenka
- 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
Primary religion
Animism · Ethnoreligion
60% adherents
Primary language
Kyanga · Mande family
100% speak Kyanga
Gospel resources in Kyanga
- Bible available
- JESUS Film not available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Bibles
- SIM Nigeria · audio
- SIM Nigeria 2017 · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Cenka
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
Tyenga in other countries
The same people (ROP3 110343) is reported in 1 other country.
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