People group profile · PG013516
The Maninka of Liberia
The Maninka of Liberia, numbering about 79,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Maninka community of the broader Manding peoples descended from the Mali Empire that preserves its Maninkakan language, trading traditions, and Mande cultural heritage in Liberia.
They are a diaspora people in the Malinke people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Islam, and they primarily speak Eastern Maninkakan.
Fast facts
- Country
- Liberia
- Population
- 79,000
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Malinke
- Primary language
- Eastern Maninkakan (emk)
- Primary religion
- Folk Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Western Africa, Africa
Where they live
Gospel status
The Maninka 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 No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Maninka
- 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
Folk Islam · Islam
52% adherents
Primary language
Eastern Maninkakan · Mande family
100% speak Eastern Maninkakan
Gospel resources in Eastern Maninkakan
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Maninka)
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Maninka
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
Maninka, Eastern in other countries
The same people (ROP3 106265) is reported in 3 other countries.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maninka | Guinea | 3,880,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Eastern Maninka | Mali | 698,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Maninka | Sierra Leone | 190,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
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