People group profile · PG014270
The Banta Temne of Sierra Leone
The Banta Temne of Sierra Leone, numbering about 84,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are one of eleven dialects of Themne (tem), a language of Sierra Leone.
They are an indigenous people in the Atlantic people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Islam, and they primarily speak Timne.
Fast facts
- Country
- Sierra Leone
- Population
- 84,000
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Atlantic
- Primary language
- Timne (tem)
- 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
- Location
- Northern province: Bombali, Port Loko, and Tonkolili districts; west of Sewa river to Little Scarcie; Southern province: northwest Moyamba district; Western Area: Rural district
Where they live
Gospel status
The Banta Temne 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 Banta Temne
- 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
61% adherents
Primary language
Timne · Atlantic-Congo family
100% speak Timne
Gospel resources in Timne
- Bible available, published 1992
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Bibles
- Bible Society in Sierra Leone · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Banta Temne
- 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.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
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