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People group profile · PG013519

The Mende of Liberia

The Mende of Liberia, numbering about 48,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Mande ethnolinguistic group indigenous to eastern Sierra Leone and limited border areas of Liberia.

They are an indigenous people in the Mande people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Islam, and they primarily speak Mende (Sierra Leone).

Pray for the MendePrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Liberia
Population
48,500
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Mande
Primary language
Mende (Sierra Leone) (men)
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 ?
Expanding Unreached People Group
Region
Western Africa, Africa

Where they live

Gospel status

The Mende 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 Mende

  • 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

50% adherents

Primary language

Mende (Sierra Leone) · Mande family

100% speak Mende (Sierra Leone)

Gospel resources in Mende (Sierra Leone)

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

Films

Bibles

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

Pray for the Mende

  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

Mende in other countries

The same people is also reported in 2 other countries.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
MendeSierra Leone2,915,000No Longer Unreached
MandeUnited States32,500Unengaged and Unreached

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