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People group profile · PG033356

The Banta Mende of Sierra Leone

The Banta Mende of Sierra Leone, numbering about 88,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a people of Sierra Leone.

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

Pray for the Banta MendePrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Banta Mende people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite: Banta Mende

Fast facts

Country
Sierra Leone
Population
88,500
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Mande
Primary language
Mende (Sierra Leone) (men)
Primary religion
Ethnoreligion
Strategic Progress Index ?
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
No Known Evangelicals
GSEC ?
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority ?
Frontier Unreached People Group
Region
Western Africa, Africa
Location
Eastern province: Kailahun, Kenema, and Pujehun districts; Northern province: Bombali and Moyamba districts’ border areas; along the coast and south and east; Southern province: most of interior

Where they live

Gospel status

The Banta 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 No
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Banta 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

Ethnoreligion

Primary language

Mende (Sierra Leone) · Mande family

100% speak Mende (Sierra Leone)

Gospel resources in Mende (Sierra Leone)

  • Bible available, published 1993
  • 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 Banta Mende

  1. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
  2. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
  3. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
  4. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.

Download a prayer guide

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