The Shilluk of United States

The Shilluk of United States, numbering approximately 5,300 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a major Luo Nilotic ethnic group of southern Sudan, living on both banks of the Nile River in Malakal. They mostly adhere to African Traditional Religion and Shilluk is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite: Shilluk

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: United States
People Cluster: Nilotic
Primary Language(s): Shilluk (shk)
Primary Religion(s): African Traditional Religion
Population: 5,300
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG046710
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Shilluk of United States

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: African Traditional Religion
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

55%
%
African Traditional Relig… Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Shilluk
Language Family: Nilotic

100%
%
Shilluk Speakers

Media Resources in Shilluk:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Shilluk:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
Bible Society of South Sudan✓✓✓

1 entry

Or check out the Shilluk bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Shilluk are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Next steps for the Shilluk:
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

Pray specifically for the Shilluk of United States

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
readRomans 5:10

Pray that any who may be enemies of God will grasp the depth of God's love demonstrated through Christ's death for the ungodly, and be reconciled to Him.

Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
readPsalm 47:6

Pray that believers will have a heart to invite others to trust in Christ alone so that they might sing praises to His name.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
readJohn 14:3

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will have hope in trials because they know that Jesus will one day take them to be with Him forever.

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations.
readPsalm 57:9

Pray that God will raise up believers among them who will boldly go and share the gospel with people nearby and with those far away.

Shilluk Across Countries (ROP3 - 108946) 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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