People group profile · PG012969
The Gbaya of the Republic of the Congo
The Gbaya of the Republic of the Congo, numbering about 6,300 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a branch of the Gbaya people, whose main population fled 19th-century jihad warfare in northern Nigeria to resettle across Central Africa, later resisting French colonial forced labor in a 1928-1931 revolt against conscription for the Congo-Ocean Railway.
They are an indigenous people in the Adamawa-Ubangi people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Northwest Gbaya.

Fast facts
- Country
- Congo
- Population
- 6,300
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Adamawa-Ubangi
- Primary language
- Northwest Gbaya (gya)
- Primary religion
- Ethnoreligion
- Strategic Progress Index ?
- Unengaged and Unreached
- Evangelical
- No Known Evangelicals
- GSEC ?
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority ?
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Middle Africa, Africa
- Location
- Likouala department: Epena district; Sangha department: scattered on Cameroon border
Where they live
Gospel status
The Gbaya are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. 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 Gbaya
- Pray that God would send workers to this people group
- Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
- Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice
Primary religion
Primary language
Northwest Gbaya · Atlantic-Congo family
100% speak Northwest Gbaya
Gospel resources in Northwest Gbaya
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Gbaya, Northwest)
Bibles
- 1995 Bible Society of Cameroon · audio
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Gbaya
- 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.
Gbaya in other countries
The same people is also reported in 3 other countries.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gbaya | Cameroon | 447,000 | No Longer Unreached |
| Northwest Gbaya | Central African Republic | 353,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Baya | Sudan | 19,000 | Unengaged and Unreached |
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