The Bwa of Congo, Democratic Republic of the

The Bwa of Congo, Democratic Republic of the, numbering approximately 507,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Ubangian-speaking farming and hunting people of the Bas-Uele savanna in northern DR Congo, in close contact with the neighboring Mangbetu and Zande, known for distinctive ceremonial masks. They mostly adhere to Roman Catholicism and Bwa is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2025). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Bwa

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Congo, Democratic Republic of the
People Cluster: Bantu, Central-Congo
Primary Language(s): Bwa (bww)
Primary Religion(s): Roman Catholicism
Population: 507,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG014532
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Bwa of Congo, Democratic Republic of the

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Roman Catholicism
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

51%
%
Roman Catholicism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Bwa
Language Family: Atlantic-Congo

100%
%
Bwa Speakers

Media Resources in Bwa:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Bwa:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Bwa bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Bwa are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Next steps for the Bwa:
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

Pray specifically for the Bwa of Congo, Democratic Republic of the

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
readRomans 8:1

Pray that God will reassure those who may be struggling with the cost of following Jesus that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
readRevelation 4:11

Pray that the good news will advance and people will recognize and worship the One who created all things by His will, giving glory and honor to Him alone.

For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth.
readPsalm 47:2

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will exalt the Lord, recognizing His reign over the nations and His sovereignty over all things.

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
readJohn 12:24

Pray that God will raise up men and women who are willing to die to their own desires, bearing much fruit for the kingdom among individuals and in places where His gospel has not been proclaimed.

Bwa (Bwa) Across Countries (ROP3 - 101819) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

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