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

People group profile · PG014639

The Lwena of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Lwena of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, numbering about 277,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Bantu ethnic group living mainly in southeastern Angola and northwestern Zambia, with smaller communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

They are an indigenous people in the Bantu, Central-South people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Roman Catholicism, and they primarily speak Luvale.

Pray for the LwenaPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Population
277,000
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Bantu, Central-South
Primary language
Luvale (lue)
Primary religion
Roman Catholicism
Strategic Progress Index ?
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC ?
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority ?
Expanding Unreached People Group
Region
Middle Africa, Africa
Location
southeastern regions, near the borders with Angola and Zambia

Where they live

Gospel status

The Lwena 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 Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Lwena

  • 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

Roman Catholicism · Christianity

73% adherents

Primary language

Luvale · Atlantic-Congo family

100% speak Luvale

Gospel resources in Luvale

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

Films

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

Pray for the Lwena

  1. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
  2. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
  3. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
  4. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.

Download a prayer guide

Lwena in other countries

The same people is also reported in 2 other countries.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
LwenaAngola1,030,000Engaged yet Unreached
LuvaleZambia487,000Engaged yet Unreached

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