also today: Bermuda

Answers to Prayer

1 Praise God for spiritual breakthroughs in the 1990s

2 The President is a born-again Christian after years of flirting with communism and the occult

3 Church growth is occurring in all regions

Challenges for Prayer

1 Government corruption

2 Less-reached peoples

a) The Fon are an influential, strategic people in Benin

b) The Gbe peoples include the Fon and 19 other related people groups, forming a complex medley of unreached and unevangelized peoples

c) The Nagot are located on the southeastern border with Nigeria

d) The Idacca (30,000+) living in south central Benin

e) The Ife (176,000) straddle the borders of Benin and Togo and are currently experiencing rapid growth in church planting

f) Muslim peoples

g) The one million urbanites of the two capitals

h) A Benin national research team (ARCEB) is engaged in making a strategic survey of the country, its churches and peoples which could have major impact on church growth strategy

3 The Church in Benin needs leaders

4 Missions

5 Young people are now a core element of the Benin church

6 Bible translation is still a major need

7 Media opportunities abound in the new day of freedom

a) The effective use of audio recordings in evangelism and teaching

b) The best use of the JESUS film in French, Fon, Bariba, Gurma, Kabiye, Tem, and Yoruba

c) Radio

d) Television

also today: Bermuda

Geography

click to enlarge

Area 112,600 sq.km. A long, narrow country wedged between Nigeria and Togo.

Population (2000) 6,096,559 +2.70%AGR

Capital Porto-Novo 265,276.

Peoples

Southern Peoples 69.2%; Northern Peoples 30.2%; Other 0.6%.

Literacy 37%. Official language French. Trade languages Fon in south, Dendi in north. All languages 51. Languages with Scriptures 6Bi 9NT 1por 12w.i.p.

Economy

Still largely functions as a satellite economy of Nigeria. HDI 0.421; 155^th/174. Public debt 62.5% of GNP. Income/person $328 (1.2% of USA).

Politics

Independent from France in 1960.

Religion

Complete religious freedom under the present government.

Churches in Benin

Missionaries from Benin

66 in 6 agencies to 3 countries

Missionaries to Benin

222 in 35 agencies from 19 countries

click for legend

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