Suriname

The Spiritual Need in Suriname

With over 93 percent of the country covered in forest and rainforest, Suriname is the greenest country in the world. Dutch is the native language of the Surinamese, but some twenty languages are spoken.  This small country of about 626,000 people is on the northeastern coast of South America. The stunning natural beauty of the country pales in comparison to the fact that Suriname is one of the most ethnically and religiously diverse countries in the world. The country is religiously open and tolerant, and even brags about its Jewish temple and Muslim Mosque that are side by side in the middle of the capital. 

Christianity is the predominant religion in Suriname; however, large numbers of Hindus and Muslims also inhabit the country. Unfortunately, there is very little work being done to share the gospel and plant churches among these religious communities.

Hindus formed the second-largest religious group in Suriname, comprising 19 percent of the population, the third-largest proportion of any country in the Western Hemisphere after Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, both of which also have large proportions of Indians. Almost all practitioners of Hinduism are found among the Indo-Surinamese population. Muslims constitute 14 percent of the population, the highest proportion of Muslims in the Americas; they are largely of Javanese or Indian descent.

• 110,000 Hindus
• 80,000 Muslims

Christian Missions in Suriname

There is a long history of Moravian missionaries in Suriname. Also, the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church (CAMA) has a large presence in and around the capitol of Paramaribo.

Suriname has only recently been opened by ABWE after several years of training local church leaders and now, there is one family on the ground working with the ABWE Open Initiative. The main focus is to train, encourage, and develop established local churches to conduct cross cultural outreach to the growing populations of Hindus, Muslims, and Buddhists who up until recently have been largely unengaged with the message of the gospel.