Prototype rebuild by the IMB Innovation Team. The official site is peoplegroups.org.

People group profile · PG012340

The Mbelime of Benin

The Mbelime of Benin, numbering about 74,500 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of Benin.

They are an indigenous people in the Gur people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Mbelime.

Pray for the MbelimePrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Mbelime people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Mbelime

Fast facts

Country
Benin
Population
74,500
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Gur
Primary language
Mbelime (mql)
Primary religion
Ethnoreligion
Strategic Progress Index
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
2% or Greater but Less than 5%
GSEC
2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
Lostness priority
Minimally Reached People Group
Region
Western Africa, Africa

Where they live

Gospel status

The Mbelime are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 2% evangelical.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Mbelime

  • Pray for the churches among this group to grow in faithfulness and maturity
  • Equip believers to reach the unreached peoples around them
  • Send out laborers from this people to the nations

Primary religion

Ethnoreligion

80% adherents

Primary language

Mbelime · Atlantic-Congo family

100% speak Mbelime

Gospel resources in Mbelime

  • Bible available, published 2014
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources not available
  • Bible stories not available

Films

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Mbelime

  1. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
  2. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
  3. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
  4. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.

Download a prayer guide

Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.