People group profile · PG039235
The Central Zoque of Mexico
The Central Zoque of Mexico, numbering about 89,500 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are descendants of one of Mesoamerica's oldest language communities, tracing ancestry to Pacific coastal Chiapas farmers who shifted to maize cultivation nearly 6,000 years ago and whose Mixe-Zoquean tongue is linked to the ancient Olmec civilization.
They are an indigenous people in the Mixe people cluster of the Latin American and Caribbean Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Catholicism, and they primarily speak Spanish.
Fast facts
- Country
- Mexico
- Population
- 89,500
- Affinity group
- American Peoples
- People cluster
- Mixe
- Primary language
- Spanish (spa)
- Primary religion
- Folk Catholicism
- 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
- Central America, Americas
- Location
- Four separate enclaves in 4 states; largest, northwest Mezcalapa Chiapas, into Tabasco, Veracruz-Llave, and Oaxaca, mainly near Grijalve river, Sayula area; second area, southern Mezcalapa Chiapas, Grijalve river near Argostura reservoir; third, eastern
Where they live
Gospel status
The Central Zoque 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 Central Zoque
- 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
Folk Catholicism · Christianity
67% adherents
Primary language
Spanish · Indo-European family
100% speak Spanish
Gospel resources in Spanish
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- Magdalena (Spanish, Castilian)
- Magdalena (Spanish, Latin American)
- The Savior (Spanish, Latin American)
Bibles
- 1569 Sagradas Escrituras · text
- 1602 Reina-Valera Antigua · text
- Biblia de América · video, audio, text
- Dios Habla Hoy · audio
- La Biblia · text
- La Palabra de Dios para Todos · audio
- La Santa Biblia, Nueva Versión Internacional® · video
- Lenguaje Actual · audio
- Reina Valera 1995 · audio
- Reina Valera Contemporánea · video
- Reina Valera, Revisada y Corregida (1865) · text
- The Word of God for All - 2000 World Bible Translation Center · audio, text
- The Word of God for All 2014 · audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Central Zoque
- 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.
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.