The Saramaccan of French Guiana

The Saramaccan of French Guiana, numbering approximately 6,300 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Maroon people descended from Africans who escaped Dutch plantation slavery in Suriname in the 17th-18th centuries and won an 1762 freedom treaty a century before emancipation, roughly 30 percent now living as migrants in French Guiana. They mostly adhere to Ethnoreligion and Saramaccan is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Saramaccan

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: North American Peoples
Country: French Guiana
People Cluster: Afro-American
Primary Language(s): Saramaccan (srm)
Primary Religion(s): Ethnoreligion
Population: 6,300
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
People Group ID: PG016341
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Pray for the Saramaccan of French Guiana

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: Ethnoreligion
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

—
%
Ethnoreligion Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Saramaccan
Language Family: Indo-European

100%
%
Saramaccan Speakers

Media Resources in Saramaccan:

Films:
Title Link
JESUS View Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Saramaccan:

Bible Name (Translation) Video Audio Text
1998 Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. ✓ ✓

1 entry

Or check out the Saramaccan bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Saramaccan are No Longer Unreached, which means there are more than 2% evangelical Christian populations and there are churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. There is still more to be done among them.

Next steps for the Saramaccan:
Empower local believers to begin praying for their own people
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting
Encourage local leaders to being leading church planting strategy and looking for Unreached and Unengaged groups nearby

Pray specifically for the Saramaccan of French Guiana

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
readPsalm 19:1

Pray that those who are lost will look to the heavens and see the glory of God displayed, leading them to seek Him and know Him as their Creator and Savior.

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.
readPsalm 19:1-2

Pray that the lost will see the glory of God revealed in the heavens, that they will hear the good news, and that their hearts will be softened to respond to God’s call, turning to Him in repentance and faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.

Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered.
readPsalm 105:5

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will rejoice as they remember His wonders, miracles, and perfect judgements.

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
readRevelation 7:9-10

Pray that the promise in Revelation 7:9-10 will encourage believers from among them or from nearby people groups to share the gospel with people who have never learned it.

Saramaka Across Countries (ROP3 - 108714) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index

All

2 people groups

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

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