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People group profile · PG014751

The Yela of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Yela of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, numbering about 148,000 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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

Pray for the YelaPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Population
148,000
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Bantu, Central-Congo
Primary language
Yela (yel)
Primary religion
Roman Catholicism
Strategic Progress Index
Unengaged and Unreached
Evangelical
No Known Evangelicals
GSEC
No Evangelicals, Churches or Resources
Lostness priority
Frontier Unreached People Group
Region
Middle Africa, Africa
Location
Sankuru province; Tshuapa province: mainly Bokungu territory

Where they live

Gospel status

The Yela 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, there are no evangelical Christians or churches among this people group and there is no access to evangelical print, audio, visual or human resources.

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

Next steps for the Yela

  • 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

Roman Catholicism · Christianity

89% adherents

Primary language

Yela · Niger-Congo family

Gospel resources in Yela

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

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

Pray for the Yela

  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

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